The Decision Between Life or Death:A Second Chance
by annubis
Summary: Sequel to The Decision Between Life or Death. I advise you read the first story before this. Is there a way out of the Lifestream? If so, is Sephiroth capable of coming back? More love triangles and action!
1. Chapter 1

Hello all! After about a year I've decided to continue my fanfiction. This is the SEQUEL to "The Decision Between Life or Death". I advise you read the first part before you read this story. Thanks to everyone and their continued support throughout the last story. I've decided to do this piece due to many requests. I did not originally intend to do so but I did leave opportunity open for just in case, minor details that will play a large part of this next story. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

Chapter One

Tifa wiped her hands off on the towel hanging next to the sink behind the bar. She sighed, another day had passed just like any other. It was late and the bar was now in peace compared to what it had been only an hour ago. Her brown eyes scanned the room looking for empty bottles and glasses. Her orbs stopped on a familiar figure hung over the side of one of the corner tables. A small smile crossed her lips as she ventured toward the man.

'Same old, same old.' Tifa sighed again as she tapped the snoring man on the shoulder. He did not stir.

"Yo!" Tifa shouted as she tugged on the white collar of his dress shirt. The man jolted upwards, knocking over his wooden chair. He stumbled in a frenzy, trying not to fall with the tipped over furniture.

"YeeO!" He slurred, alarmed. The man's blue eyes scanned up and down at the blurred woman before him. He placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning in dangerously close to her face. He squint his eyes and stepped back. "Tifa!"

"Reno...I've already closed the place, I think it's time you've gone home." Tifa put her hands on her hips.

"Right. I know! I whuzz on my wheey out." Reno cleared his throat. He chuckled nervously as the dark haired woman narrowed her eyes.

"Sure, Reno." Tifa lifted the man's blue jacket from the tabletop. She handed it to him slowly, a smile crossed her face. "When will you ever learn?"

"Learn?" Reno scratched his head, his eyes darted between the chair and the empty glass on the table. "Eh, never I suppose." He turned his gaze to meet hers again. He bent down to pick up the chair.

"Maybe if I knocked some sense into you?" Tifa tilted her head as a giggle escaped her lips.

"Uh, no! That won't be necessary! I'll set my alarm on my watch next time." Reno held up a hand. His aqua eyes stared at his wristwatch.

"Hmm, usually you're good at telling what time it is." Tifa snatched the empty glass on the table and began walking towards the bar.

"Yeah...Well, anyways, sorry." Reno slid on his jacket. "Same time tomorrow?" His eyebrows raised.

"I'll be expecting you, as always!" Tifa grinned as she washed the glass in the sudsy water of the sink. Reno raised a hand in the air as he walked towards the door.

"Want me to lock it?" he called out. "Or has Strife not come home yet?" He paused.

"...No. I'll get it later." Tifa's eyes dropped to the glass in her hands.

"Alright. Well I'll see ya later, Tifa. Tell Cloud I said 'Yo' when you see him next..." Reno opened the door. The sound of rain roared into the room. "But then again I'd have just as much luck seeing him randomly on the street..." He closed the door after him.

"..." Tifa was left in silence. 'You're probably right, Reno.' Tifa cleared her throat as she drained the water. She dried her hands once again and clicked off the lights to the bar. Quietly she made her way up the stairs towards Denzel and Marlene's room. She could hear the patter of rain on the windowpane as she entered the room. Lightning flashed, lighting up the two children in their beds. Tifa leaned against the door frame, staring at the two sleeping. After a moment she turned and left the room walking across the hall to where Cloud's room was located. It was still a mess like the last time she had been in there, but then again she couldn't remember if Cloud had even stayed long enough to be able to clean anything. She would do it herself, but she was afraid she'd mess with Cloud's routine. Tifa's attention was brought to the window as a cold breeze flowed through the room. She ran her hands up and down her bare arms as she made her way to the open window. Rain pelted against her hands as she slid it shut.

'I wonder how long that's been open?' She leaned against the glass despite the chill it gave her. Her chocolate eyes stared at the puddles in the streets as the rain splashed against the surface. Her mind was brought back to the past.

'It had rained like this for days when meteor was approaching.' Tifa's memory struck up the events that took place so long ago. 'But it only felt like yesterday...' She remembered journeying across the planet meeting new people and battling new monsters. Her and the others had fought against Shinra numerous times. It started out with AVALANCHE destroying the mako reactor. She had been reunited with Cloud once again, but he wasn't himself. He was someone completely different.

'He was like Zack...' Tifa closed her eyes, trying to remember the other soldier's face. It had been so long since she had seen that face. His dark hair, and brilliant blue eyes, like Clouds. They had looked so different as he was dieing. They weren't brilliant anymore, but a dull purple-gray. Tifa felt herself shiver. She could still remember Aeris' cries of pain as Zack's life passed away in her arms.

'Aeris...she tried so hard to hide her sadness and pain, but when that happened...she let it all out.' Tifa placed a hand against the glass as she looked up into the sky. Aeris had also sacrificed herself to save everyone. It was a series of unfortunate events and it was all Sephiroth's doing.

Sephiroth had been defeated by Cloud after he killed Aeris, but somehow he was able to come back. Kadaj and his brothers had come to complete Sephiroth's mission. They had fought against Tifa and the others and almost had defeated Cloud in the end when Sephiroth came to the world through Kadaj.

'Cloud had defeated him...but Yazoo and Loz had put their final powers together and attacked. I thought Cloud was gone for sure. Thanks to Aeris...he was saved again.' Aeris and Zack had not allowed Cloud to enter the Lifestream just yet. They allowed him to live and showed him that he wasn't alone and that he could live in peace.

"But Cloud won't live in peace." Tifa whispered to the sky. "He still won't forgive himself and he never will. He blames himself for everyone's death and will never let it go." Tifa stepped away from the window. She made her way to Cloud's desk and lifted the photograph that laid in the mess of papers and pens.

"Aeris and Zack saved everyone both times. They'll probably always be there to save us...to save Cloud." Tifa bit her lower lip. "Am I too weak to be of any help?" She lifted the photograph.

After the incident with Kadaj, Cloud had opened himself up quite a bit. He had smiled more often and conversed with everyone. He'd even visit Tifa in the bar occasionally and talk about his day. He would play with the kids, but despite all that he would still leave for days on end without notice. He would disappear to the church that lay in the middle of the destruction caused by meteor. And every time Tifa looked into his eyes, despite his smiles there was still an emptiness behind them.

"If only Aeris hadn't died..." Tifa thought for a second. "Has it really been that long?" Tifa tried to remember. Was it three, four years? Tifa sat in the leather chair in the middle of the room. She spun in a circle a couple of times.

'What I wouldn't give to have Aeris here with me...to have someone to talk to.' Tifa leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. She could hear thunder roaring outside. The storm was getting worse. 'It wasn't fair. Why did they both have to be taken? Why did dad have to be taken?' Tifa looked down at her hands.

"Is it really over? Are the battles really over?" She rubbed her face and sighed deeply. "Can that monster really be gone?" Her memory scanned the tricks Sephiroth had played on her and her friends. He had tricked her, posing as Cloud. He had done the same thing to Aeris but things then had gone way out of hand. Tifa clenched her fists. Thunder blasted outside, ruining her thoughts. She stood up quickly, staring at the moon outside.

'He had nearly destroyed everything. But at least it's over now.' Tifa pulled her hair behind her ear. 'I just wish he hadn't destroyed...Cloud too...'

"He's just like Vincent, always blaming himself for something that he had no control over." Tifa mumbled. Thunder blasted again, this time shaking the windows of the building.

"Tifa!?" A small voice called from across the hall. Tifa turned quickly and made her way into the children's room. Marlene was sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes.

"Marlene?" Tifa sat on the edge of the bed.

"Tifa? Where's Cloud?" The young girl pulled the covers around her.

"He, he's not here." Tifa frowned.

"He's not outside in the storm is he? Tifa, why won't he come home?" Marlene's voice whined.

"Because...we're not important to him." Another voice called from the bed next to the girls.

"Denzel!" Tifa stared at him in disbelief. The two children were growing up fast, they were starting to notice things about Cloud and Tifa and it often led to uncomfortable conversations.

"It's true! If he thought of us as a real family, maybe he'd care more." The boy sat up in the bed. Thunder roared again. Tifa brought her attention to the world outside the window.

"Denzel. Don't say things like that. Cloud cares. He cares much more than you think." Tifa stood up and made her way to Denzel's bed. "Why do you think he fights? He fought so you wouldn't be sick anymore. He fought along Vincent's side to keep us safe. He even fought to save the planet."

"I know he keeps fighting, but what does he do now that the fighting is over?" The boy threw the bedsheets off of his body. He flung his legs over the bedside and scooted to sit next to Tifa. "He's fought and kept everyone safe...but he's not here to enjoy the freedom of it." The boy clenched his fists bunching up the cloth of his pajama pants. Tifa ran a hand through Denzel's hair.

"Does Cloud not love us?" Marlene whispered. She gave Denzel a worried look.

"Stop it you two. He loves you both very much! He loves all of his friends and all of the other children too." The woman threw her hands in the air.

"Why does he blame himself?" Denzel crawled back under the covers.

"I..." Tifa averted her eyes from Denzel's piercing gaze. 'Damn it, he's doing it again. He's prying to see what I feel about all this. Who'd he learn this from anyway?'

"But what about you?" Marlene interrupted.

"What?" Tifa turned to the girl. She still wore Aeris' pink bow in her hair.

"You said he loves us but what about you?" Marlene asked innocently. Tifa looked back and forth between the two children, wondering if the conversation could get any worse.

"...You two need to get to bed! You have school in the morning!" Tifa stammered out. She smiled when she heard groans from the two children. Tifa made her way to the door as Marlene and Denzel covered themselves up and lay back in their beds.

'...He loves another...' Tifa thought to herself as she began to close the door.

"Tifa?" Denzel called out again. Tifa paused, looking over her shoulder at the boy. "He loves you too." He pushed his head against the pillow.

"Of course." Tifa whispered before shutting the door.

'Those two never stop with those questions. They always find a way to bring him up.' Tifa shook her head. She took a step forward and slipped. Her hand fumbled for the door handle before she could fall.

"What?" She looked down to see water on the floor. "When...?" Her gaze followed the wet footprints that led across the floor towards the closed door of Cloud's room.

'When did he get here?'

* * *

She watched in horror as Sephiroth's sword repeatedly struck through Zack's chest. She could hear the sickening sound as it passed through his body.

'No...stop it!' Aeris held her hands over her ears. She watched the struggle continue as Zack tugged on Sephiroth's Masamune. He pulled it from the silver-haired man's grasp and struck him with his own blade. Sephiroth fell over the ledge to the walkway below. Zack stumbled slightly, his black spikes of hair bounced as he hit the ground behind him.

'No, not again! I don't want to see it again!' Aeris tugged at her hair. She watched the scene, unable to do anything herself. Cloud approached the dieing man and soon the rest followed, including Aeris herself.

'Heal him! Don't just sit there and watch him die!' Aeris watched herself as she clung desperately to Zack's body. The clanging of the falling metal ring was deafening to her ears, along with her wails of pain. Zack lay in his own blood, lifeless. He wasn't Zack anymore. He was another victim of Sephiroth's hatred and insanity. Aeris continued to watch as the scene unfolded.

'I ran away. I ran away to summon Holy.' Aeris recalled as she watched herself run away from Cloud and the others. The group had to find another way out of the crater due to the walkway crumbling behind her. Sephiroth was following her and the place was falling apart. Aeris watched as the ground around Zack's body crumbled and he fell into the Lifestream.

'He's one with the Lifestream now. He's dead.' Aeris choked. The scene changed. She could see herself above the altar in the center of the City of the Ancients. She was praying for holy as Sephiroth's blade pierced her body, her blood mixing with Zack's on the blade. She slumped forward as her materia fell into the waters below.

'At least I was able to finish the prayer...but it wasn't enough. Zack and I had to call on the Lifestream to save the planet.' Aeris watched Cloud in a maddened frenzy annihilate Jenova, sending her back to her prison in the crater, and then Sephiroth.

'I've never seen him like that. It's almost frightening.' Aeris felt her heart sink. Tifa was standing over her dead body, crying. 'I hurt Tifa too. I hurt them all.' She watched as Cloud cried over her body as he made the painful journey up the glass stairs towards the blue waters that would become her grave. She watched the pained expression Cloud had as he let her go. His apologies rang out clearly in her ears. He would never forgive himself.

'He has to forgive himself. It was my fault. I ran away...I was the selfish one.' She watched her body sink in the blue depths and hit the sand at the bottom. The dirt stirred as her body sank through the thin layer and into the green liquid beneath the surface, the Lifestream.

* * *

"Oh!" Aeris woke up with a start. She had been dreaming.

'I wonder what it means?' She thought to herself as she slowly stood in the middle of her manifested garden. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her pink dress and raised her arms in the air, stretching. If it was one thing, being dead sure could get boring. She rarely slept but when she did she always had the same dream. Aeris looked around at the flowers around her. There wasn't a soul in sight.

"Zack?" Aeris called out. There was no answer.

'He's been ignoring me a lot lately...' Aeris felt a fit of anger approaching.

"Zack!?" She looked up at the blank sky above her. 'All he ever does is swing that sword around. What's he got to fight for? He's already dead...' Aeris put her hands on her hips and huffed.

"ZACK!!" She screamed loudly. She was irritated by the way he had been very short with her lately as well.

"What?" The dark haired man appeared next to her side in the flower patch. He was shirtless and covered in sweat. He gave her a sheepish grin. Aeris stared at him, not amused at all.

"Zack...why do you train so much?" The woman raised an eyebrow at him.

"To be prepared." He said quickly and turned away from her, swinging his sword.

"For WHAT!?" She screeched. Zack gave her an exasperated sigh and a roll of his eyes.

"For any dangers that may arise. You never complained before!" Zack stabbed the artificial ground and leaned on his sword.

"What dangers!?" Aeris threw her arms in the air. She rarely got this angry but she had had enough. "Zack, we're already dead!" Aeris groaned. He turned from her again, her words had obviously hurt him.

"I know that, Aeris. But I was dead before and came back, right?" He looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"Zack...that was all because of Hojo..." The green eyed woman rolled her eyes. She was getting sick of the pointless fights they were having.

"Well how about Sephiroth? He keeps finding a way back! What if he arises again on the planet? Cloud won't be able to handle him by himself forever!" Zack glared at the flowers at his feet.

"Zack...you've got to let go. You-" Aeris placed a hand on him.

"Let go? Let go!?" Zack brushed her hand away. "Aeris! What about you!? All you ever do is sit by that pool, watching _them_ for days straight!"

"To protect them! Zack, this is all we can do! We can sit here and watch! We _can't_ physically help them like you want to. We can only call on the Lifestream when needed." Aeris tore her gaze away from his. He didn't like what she had said.

"I'll find a way, Aeris. And when I do, I'll be prepared..." Zack lifted his sword. He gave her a cocky smile before disappearing from view.

"Oooh!! ZACK!" She stomped her foot and threw her arms to her sides. "Fine!" She yelled as her manifested flower garden faded into darkness. Aeris stomped her way over to the pool in the center of the Lifestream. She dropped to her knees and leaned over the side, her hand falling into the water. Aeris stared at her reflection over the view of the planet in the pool.

'What if he's right? What if there _is _a way to go back?' She stared at the green eyes looking back up at her. She scoffed. 'How is that possible? How can we come back? And why us and not anyone else? It's ridiculous, really. Zack's just bored here in this world. I don't blame him...' Aeris let out a long sigh.

"I do miss being alive..." She tossed her hand into the water again, watching the liquid ripple.

A new image appeared, one of Sephiroth after his death. He too had fallen into the waters and sank through the sandy surface to the Lifestream below. Aeris green eyes followed the flow of the Lifestream. She felt her heart stop.

"Oh my!" She covered her mouth. Her eyes darted around the marble floored room looking for a sign of any soul. "That's it..." She whispered.

"I get it now!" She screamed and giggled to herself while skipping around the pool of water.

* * *

Well that's it for chapter one. Thanks again for reading. This chapter was mostly a recap of events and a way to explain the time line. I was thinking of writing the sequel over Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus, but i felt it'd be too much like what i did with the first story. So i decided that since the way i wrote the first story, Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus could have still taken place the way it actually did, that i could just write what was gonna be the trilogy. This one will be pretty much original. Not sure on the length. I'm just writing as i go, like i did the last story so whatever happens, happens! Thanks again and keep checking in for new chapters! -Annubis.


	2. Chapter 2

Alright, so i was bored and decided to get straight into the second chapter. Hope everyone liked the first, things will get more interesting, i promise! Anyways, i wont dilly dally... shilly shally dilly dally. Man that sounds so lame! Anyways enjoy the new chapter! -annubis

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The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter Two**

Tifa woke up to the sound of screaming children. She sprang from her bed and darted out of her room, not caring that she was only in her underwear and a large t-shirt. She was in the hall when she noticed giggles as well. Tifa made an abrupt halt outside Marlene and Denzel's room.

"AHH!! Tifa!" Marlene screeched, giggling. She was being spun in the air over Cloud's shoulder. He came to an abrupt halt, eyes wide. He looked over his shoulder at Tifa, his face red. Carefully he set Marlene down on Denzel's bed.

"Cloud?" Tifa stifled a laugh.

"Um..." Cloud rubbed the back of his neck. He took a step towards Tifa and felt a sudden tug.

"Where's Den-?" Tifa was interrupted as Cloud tumbled to the ground.

"RARGH!!" A young voice roared from under Denzel's bed. Cloud stared at his feet. Two small hands were gripped around his ankles.

"Oh!" Tifa covered her mouth trying not to laugh. Cloud turned his gaze upwards, looking at Tifa. He saw two feet, two bare feet that led to bare calves and then to bare thighs. He turned his gaze away quickly.

'Huh?' Tifa looked down at herself and then realized what Cloud was so embarrassed about.

"Oh!" She hollered again as she tugged on the bottom of her shirt, trying to cover as much of her bottom half as possible. She felt her face burning.

'Gotta leave! Gotta find some...shorts!' Tifa turned and darted out of the room.

"I got you! I got you didn't I!?" An excited Denzel crawled from underneath the bed. He had a strange mask strapped to the backside of his head. Marlene was in a fit of giggles.

"Ya sure did." Cloud laughed nervously.

"Where did Tifa go?" Marlene stared at the empty doorway.

"Was she in her underwear again!?" Denzel laughed.

"Not...anymore!" Tifa entered the room pulling on the waist band of her shorts.

"Well I don't see a difference...those shorts are so short, they may as well be underwear!" Denzel jumped from his bed.

"Denzel!" Tifa grabbed one of Marlene's teddy bears and launched it at the young boy's head.

"Hey! Not my teddy!" Marlene shouted. Her anger turned into another fit of giggles as the bear bounced off the boy's head.

"Ow!" Denzel picked up the bear. "That thing has a hard nose!"

"Serves you right!" Tifa huffed. Her attention was suddenly brought to the blond on the floor. "You gonna sit on that floor all day?" Tifa raised an eyebrow.

"..." Cloud got up quickly.

"What's with all the yelling this morning?" The woman looked at Marlene.

"Cloud scared us!" Marlene pointed accusingly at the grown man. He quickly held his hands in the air.

"I-I -I didn't do such thing!" Cloud's mouth gaped open.

"He did too, Tifa! Cloud's lying!" The boy pointed his finger as well. "He came into the room wearing this mask!" he turned around showing off the scary mask strapped to his head. It was made of wood, painted black with red and yellow stripes decorating the surface. The top was adorned with brightly colored feathers. The face of the mask was contorted and grotesque.

"I was only trying to get them ready for school!" Cloud rubbed the back of his head.

"School?" Tifa tilted her head. "School! Oh I forgot! It's the first day of school! What time is it!?" Tifa pounced onto the small bed in front of her. She grabbed the alarm clock.

"School!" Marlene and Denzel screamed and ran out of the room.

"Ah! They only have thirty minutes to be dressed and at school!" Tifa dropped the clock on the bed. She darted from the bedroom, leaving Cloud to himself. A moment later she was back in the doorway. Her hair was a mess in front of her face. She turned her head quickly, blowing the hair out of the way. "Cloud! Could you please make sure they eat their breakfast and are dressed within the next twenty minutes!?" Tifa didn't leave him time to answer as she ran back down the hall towards her room.

"...Okay." Cloud shrugged.

"Kids! Eat quickly and get dressed!" Tifa's voice was heard throughout the building. Cloud could hear the patter of her bare feet on the wood floor. "AND DON"T FORGET TO PUT YOUR DISHES IN THE SINK!" another shout sounded from the mad woman. The sound of the bathroom door slamming followed.

"..." Cloud stood in the silent room a moment.

'What just happened?' the blond shook his head. He made his way to the lower level of the building where the children were eating sugary cereal by the bar.

* * *

'Oh gotta hurry! Gotta hurry! Can't let the kids be late!' Tifa scurried from the shower. She wrapped the towel around her body and wiped the condensation from the mirror. She stared at her reflection. Her hair had grown to the middle of her back. She snatched up her brush and combed through the tangles.

"Ah! Denzel! Stop it!" Marlene slapped the boy over the head.

"Ow! Marlene that hurt!" A muffled voice called from the other side of the foreign mask.

"Stop scaring me!" Marlene flicked the mask.

"Stop fighting...get dressed." Cloud said in a monotone voice as he opened their closet.

"I wanna wear this today!" Marlene reached and tugged on her favorite pink dress.

"You always wear that!" Denzel scowled.

"She can wear what she wants." Cloud mumbled as he handed the dress to the young girl. Marlene stuck her tongue out at the boy.

"Can I wear what I want?" Denzel tugged on an old costume hanging in the furthest corner of the closet.

"Yeah as long as it isn't that." Cloud sighed. 'How does Tifa do this every morning?'

"What!? That's not fair!" Denzel folded his arms.

"Stop being a baby and wear normal clothes you goob!" Marlene rolled her eyes. She finished pulling up the straps to the pink dress and ran to her nightstand to fetch her pink ribbon. "Cloud? Can you put this in my hair?"

"...Sure..." Cloud stared at the ribbon. Marlene turned around as Cloud squatted next to her. He tied the ribbon slowly, watching the cloth loop around his fingers.

"You always gotta wear that stupid ribbon." Denzel scoffed as he sat on his bed, still in his pajamas.

"You're face is stupid!" Marlene screeched.

"Marlene!" Tifa shouted. She came bouncing into the room on one foot. The other foot was in the air while Tifa tied its laces. She had on a pair of Capri pants, a red t-shirt and had a toothbrush in her mouth.

"He started it..." Marlene mumbled.

"All done." Cloud muttered. Marlene turned around quickly and smiled at Cloud. He only stared at her. It looked as if he was in another world.

"Denzel!" Tifa screamed as she put her foot down. "Get dressed!" The woman pointed to the closet as she brushed her teeth vigorously.

"Get your jackets, its gonna be cool today." Tifa left the room.

"Denzel. Grab my coat. I'm gonna put the dishes in the sink!" Marlene ran out of the room.

"Alright." Denzel grumbled as he put on his shoes.

"Are you two always this energetic?" Cloud turned to the boy.

"Huh? Um...I guess so. It's always like this." Denzel shrugged his shoulders. He pulled his shirt over his head. "Well...except today you're here." Denzel gave him a big grin as he pulled out two jackets from the closet, one red and the other blue.

'Except...I'm here?' Cloud stared at the floor.

"Hey! Let's go!" Denzel yelled from the hall. Cloud turned to him quickly. "Before Tifa gets mad!" The boy turned quickly and headed down the stairs.

'She wasn't mad already?' Cloud sighed as he followed the energetic boy.

"Hurry it up! We're late!" Tifa called. "You too, Cloud!" Denzel ran by Tifa but was pulled to a halt. She pulled the mask off from his head. She looked at Cloud and rolled her eyes as she held the item in the air.

"Wutai." He explained. Tifa shook her head.

'Of course.' She set the mask down on the table.

"Yeah! Come on Cloud! You never get to take us to school!" Marlene grinned as she slid on her red jacket. Cloud stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at the young girl. She was wearing a pink dress, a red jacket, and her hair was tied in a braid by a pink bow, Aeris' pink bow. Cloud's eyes met Tifa's.

"Shotgun!" Denzel yelled as he sprinted out the door.

"No fair! You always get front seat!" Marlene tore after him.

"Tifa..." Cloud watched the young girl.

"I know..." Tifa hung her head. She grabbed the keys by the door. Silence over took them. "Come on. We've only got five minutes." Tifa walked out the door.

"Yeah..." Cloud closed the door.

"Denzel! Get in the back! Marlene! Stop hitting him!" Tifa shouted.

* * *

"Okay...so how exactly do I do it?" Aeris stared down at the pool of water. "Let's see...maybe if I think of the location I'll be sent there. Or maybe..." Aeris ran her hand through the water of the pool. She had been thinking about this for hours now, but time didn't make a difference in the afterlife.

"But what if it doesn't work? Maybe...if I..." Aeris looked around her. Zack was nowhere in sight. "Okay! Why not! Sure, I'll just try it out and if it works, it works!" The girl played with the braid in her hair. Her metal bangles clanged together.

"..." Aeris looked around once more before climbing over the edge of the well into the pool of water.

'I wonder how deep it-'

"Woop!" The woman fell into the water and didn't hit the bottom. She flailed her arms and grabbed the edge of the well pulling herself out of the surface.

'Is it possible to drown once you're already dead?' Aeris thought to herself as she sputtered and coughed. Whether it was possible or not, Aeris wasn't going to give it a try and find out.

"And I find it hard to believe you would just fall into that pool of water." A cool voice called from the shadows. Aeris gasped.

'Where? Where is he!?' She felt her heart pounding. A whistle sounded on the opposite side of the well.

"Over here." The voice called again.

"Oh!" Aeris turned around, kicking her feet to stay afloat.

'I need to get out of this water! Immediately!' She scampered up the side, trying to get away from the man on the other side.

"Here." A chuckle sounded above her. Aeris looked up to see a hand in her face.

"Sephiroth!" Aeris pushed against the wall. It was no use. She couldn't escape him.

"You don't trust me?" Sephiroth offered his hand to her once again. She stared at it.

"What do you think?" She leaned against the wall.

"Just take my hand!" Sephiroth shouted, this time from behind her. She felt a tug on her jacket as she was pulled from the water.

'I hate it when he teleports like that!'

"Let go!" She screeched. He did as he was told and dropped her onto the marble floor. The woman stood up quickly. Her clothes and hair stuck against her body. She was cold, a sensation she hadn't felt since she died.

"What exactly are you planning on doing?" Sephiroth took a step near her.

"What are you talking about?" Aeris backed against one of the stone pillars in the room.

"No one would take a dip in that pool if there wasn't a reason behind it." Sephiroth chuckled as he neared her again. "You look so vulnerable right now, Aeris." She shivered at the sound of him saying her name. Her thoughts carried her to the past. The pool bubbled, catching Sephiroth's attention.

"Oh? What's this?" Sephiroth stepped to the pool. His eyes narrowed before widening in recognition. "So this is what the pool does! It can reflect memories as well as the living?" Sephiroth chuckled.

"It does more than that." Aeris shivered. The man's green eyes met hers. A smile crossed his lips. "What?" Aeris pushed further against the pillar.

"I make you that nervous?" The silver haired man stared into the pool and laughed. "My, I almost forgot of that night! It sure was fun, wasn't it?" He grinned at her.

"Shut up!" Aeris covered her ears.

"Hmph. You're no fun." He looked back into the pool. His gloved fingers tapped the surface of the stone well. "So are you going to tell me what it is you're up to?" He stepped away from the pool as Aeris neared it.

"I told you I wasn't up to anything! I...just felt like swimming." Aeris stared at the pool of water. She was drawn into the sight. Cloud in her church, sleeping on one of the pews.

"Swimming, eh?" Sephiroth smirked. He appeared on the opposite side of the well as Aeris. "What's the puppet up to now these days?" Sephiroth growled at the reflection of water.

"He's not a puppet." Aeris growled.

"So defensive." The man brushed a few strands of silver hair from his eyes.

"He proved that to you when he killed you." Aeris met Sephiroth's dark glare. She suddenly felt a tight hold around her throat.

"...Want to see is you can die in this life too?" Sephiroth growled in her ear. His arm was wrapped around her neck.

"Get off!" Aeris pulled on his arm. 'Where? Where's Zack!?'

"He's sleeping." Sephiroth muttered in her ear. He watched the reflection of the sleeping man in the pool. "This thing is handy!" the man chuckled manically as he threw Aeris to the ground. She coughed, trying to catch her breath.

"Why do you show up now?" Aeris rubbed her neck.

"Why now? Just because I've been lost in the Lifestream for so long. Because the Ancients keep me from getting here." Sephiroth frowned. "Found you though. All I had to do was think of you!" he laughed again.

"So I have to put up with you for all eternity?" Aeris grumbled.

"Oh no, not for eternity. You see, I'm finding a way out of here." He leaned against the pool. "I'm going to get out of this miserable Lifestream, find Cloud and kill him, kill his friends...your friends and family, Zack's family...oh hell! I'll just kill everyone on the planet!" He raised his arms in the air, laughing.

"How?" Aeris asked.

"Still working on that..." Sephiroth growled.

"Ha! You've got to be kidding! There is no way out of here Sephiroth! There's no way back to life! You're stuck here forever with us angels!" Aeris made her way to him. She poked him in the chest.

"You must be stupid..." Sephiroth growled at her, grabbing her wrist. "You're too brave for your own good."

"You're too selfish for your own good!" Aeris spat.

"And what about you? Watching your friends all the time, there's got to be desire there, yes?" Sephiroth let go of her hand. He turned to the pool, looking at the rippling waves as visions of Cloud appeared. "Oh. I see now. You miss him, don't you? But what about the other one? What about the pain you felt when he died? Do you not love him?" Aeris leaned in, looking at what the pool was reflecting. Sephiroth pinned her hands down with his, his body pressed against her back.

"Sephiroth..." She warned, but he didn't move.

"What was it? You would whisper my name? And then Cloud's? And finally Zack's?" Sephiroth recalled the night he invaded Aeris' room. "Which one is it? You can't possibly love them both?"

"I do!" Aeris turned to face the man. He was still pressed against her. Her heart stopped.

'Too close! I'm too close to this man!' Aeris tried to get away but he kept her from doing so.

"And how's that possible? You can't love more than one? At least not in the way you love an individual intimately." Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

"You can too." Aeris' voice was low. She was frightened. She needed Zack. The pool bubbled, reflecting and image of Zack holding onto Aeris.

"You seem confused my dear." Sephiroth chuckled in her ear. She struggled under his hold.

"No! You're the confused one! You're not an Ancient! You're human, you should have these emotions as well! You get angry, so why not love!" Aeris put her foot against the man's stomach and pushed. This caused another hearty laugh from Sephiroth.

"There's no one for me to love! You see, I am Jenova's son! Wronged by everyone!" He let go of her and turned away. Aeris took a deep breath.

"Everyone's capable of love! Even you!" Aeris distanced herself from the man.

"Me!?" He gave her an incredulous look. "Fine what if I was capable of love? Who would love such a monster?" He laughed at his own statement. He was humoring her.

"Anyone is capable of love...anyone's capable of loving anybody. You could be loved." Aeris pondered. She folded her arms.

'She's taking this too seriously...' Sephiroth smirked.

"Even by you?" Sephiroth stepped toward her.

"No!" Aeris answered a little too quickly. " I knew you were going to say something like that!" She balled her fists and growled in frustration.

"This conversation is pointless!" Sephiroth shook his head. He didn't want to admit that even he was disturbed a little by it. "You're only gonna get hurt and hurt others for your selfishness." Sephiroth smirked at the woman.

"My selfishness?" Aeris' mouth gaped. "Sephiroth, you should take your own advise." The chestnut haired woman turned away from him and headed out into the darkness.

"And where are you going?" Sephiroth tugged on her arm.

"Let go!" She pulled away from him. "As far as I'm concerned, this conversation is over!"

'This man irritates the hell out of me! There's no way I can put up with him. He's too dangerous and psychotic.' She shivered.

"Tell me when you think of a plan to make it back to the other world." Sephiroth walked across the room, his boots echoed in the silence.

"Yeah right. I already told you there was no way out." Aeris glared at him.

'And even if there was a way...I wouldn't tell you anyway.'

"Well then, I'll just have to keep an eye on you." Sephiroth faded away.

"Leave me alone!" Aeris screeched. There was no sound, no dark chuckle or hands around her throat.

'Finally...' She rolled her eyes.

Aeris made her way to the pool. She stared at the water for a few moments before searching the area. She leaned over the edge and climbed into the pool.

'Ok. I'm going to find out if this works. If it does, I'll just come back and let Zack know...and we can get away from that monster!' Aeris clenched her fists. She thought of the cold water surrounding her and the water in the center of the City of the Ancients.

'This had better work...' Aeris held her breath and dove under the water surface, sinking through the bottomless pit of memories and time.

* * *

Tifa sat in her bar. Today was a slow day. Even Reno hadn't been in yet. She sat on the bar stool, daydreaming about the morning with Cloud. He had helped her with the kids and actually took Tifa out to lunch. They made small talk, but it was fun none the less. She was tired of sitting at the bar all day by herself. He had been in his room since, readying orders for tomorrow. Footsteps sounded on the staircase, alerting her from her daze.

"Cloud?" She looked up at the man on the stairs. He had on his boots, dark pants and his jacket. He had a bag full of boxes slung around his shoulder. "You going out again?" She asked flatly. He nodded to her slowly.

"I'll be back late tonight. Don't wait up." He murmured as he headed for the door.

"Alright..." Tifa replied. Cloud stopped at the door. He looked over the few men in the bar and back at Tifa. She gave him a fake smile and nodded her head. He nodded back and left. "Be careful..." She said to no one. Tifa went behind the bar to fix herself something to drink, she rarely did this but lately, she couldn't think of a reason not to. She heard the door open once again.

"Welcome to Seventh-...oh, hi Reno." Tifa smiled as the redhead made his way into his favorite bar. "Where's Rude?"Tifa flung her hair over her shoulder.

"Rude? Ah, he's got second shift again tonight!" Reno huffed. He sat on the bar stool in front of the woman. "Slow night?" He asked looking around at the three other people in the bar.

"Very slow." Tifa handed him a glass of his favorite dark liquid. "Can I join?" The brown eyed woman made her way to the other side and sat next to the Turk.

"Of course!" He raised his glass in the air. "So what's got ya down? Boy troubles?" His raised an eyebrow, his goggles rising with it.

"When are they not?" Tifa sighed.

* * *

Aeris felt like ice all over. She had a terrible pain in the middle of her back and directly under the front of her ribcage. She felt pressure all over and couldn't breath. Her mind was numb, it had felt like she had been asleep for years. Her eyes burst open. Bubbles floated all around her as she struggled for air. She had no clue what was going on. What was she doing down here? Where was she? She needed to get out.

'Help!' Aeris screamed in her mind. She tried to flail her arms but they were too heavy. She kicked her legs in a frenzy, trying to stand. She wanted air but didn't want to breath at the same time. The woman managed to get upright; she looked up to see ripples of pale moonlight.

'I'm under water!' Aeris pushed from the ground and tried with all her might to reach the surface before she drowned. Her arms clawed at the water as she neared the surface. She couldn't take it anymore. She breathed in, water invaded her lungs. She coughed underwater as her struggle continued.

'No! I can't die! I can't! I...I have to get out!' Aeris kicked and pushed, her vision was leaving her quickly, but she kept moving. Kick, pull, kick, pull. She felt cold air as she burst from her watery grave. She breathed in the harsh air and coughed violently to free her lungs of the liquid. She searched for the ground so she could swim to freedom. A giant seashell building came into view. She paddled slowly to make her way to safety. Her muscles ached and her body was heavy.

'How long was I under there? Where am I exactly?' She clawed her way to solid ground and collapsed, breathing heavily. 'It feels like I haven't taken a breath in years!' She coughed and sputtered once again. Her hair clung to her body in clumps. Her boots were full of the cold liquid and her dress was skin tight, clinging to her every curve. Aeris tried her best to remember what happened.

"How...did I get here?" She sat up slowly. In a flash her memories flooded her. She remember the feeling of cold steal piercing her body. She felt herself jolt at the realization. She remembered Cloud dropping her body into these cold depths and then the Lifestream her body fell into underneath the sand, the only blessing of the whole situation. If that Lifestream hadn't been there she wouldn't be alive right now.

"Alive...Life! ME! I'm alive!" Aeris laughed. She looked at the moon, grinning gloriously. "Look, Zack! I'm alive!" She threw her arms into the air. She wasn't exactly sure why it worked, but her theory was right. The Lifestream had everything to do with it. Aeris stood up quickly, despite the cold and the pain she felt, she was alive and ready to get away from that deep puddle that had consumed her for so many years. The woman ran down the path towards the sleeping forest. She wasn't going to rest until she had reached her friends.

Far in the distance someone watched the woman in shock.

'She...just came out of the water...and is alive...perfectly fine...' The man had to sit down to let everything sink in.

"N...Not possible..." Vincent murmured to himself.

* * *

OK i was going to write a lot more but this was getting long enough. So I'll just continue the rest later. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as well. And yes Zack will be in the next chapter and will play a big part in this story! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello again! Thanks for the reviews! Sorry about any spelling or grammar errors. I proof-read way too fast and my usual writing program isn't working right so i'm using something different and it doesnt detect errors like im used to. Got lazy with the old program. Anyways! I hope you all are enjoying this! Expect...more Zack in this chapter! Well thanks for reading and reviewing, it helps a lot getting suggestions and just hearing what types of things you like. -Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 3**

Cloud sped through the dark and abandoned streets of Edge. Tonight was a silent night, he came across very few creatures on the plains and there had been no phone calls all night. Cloud looked down at his waist as he felt a soft vibrating.

'Must be Tifa calling...I am a little later than I had planned...' Cloud ignored the vibrations of his cell phone as he neared the bar. 'I'll be home in a minute, Tifa.' Cloud shook his head as the phone began vibrating again.

He felt a chill run down his spine. Despite the comfortable silence of the night, Cloud couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Something was wrong but he didn't know what.

* * *

"Ahhhaha! Got it!" Tifa slammed her hand over the pile of cards that lay on the table. She hopped in her chair excitedly.

"Ah, jeez. Ya always win. Let's play something else, Tifa." Reno rested his chin in his hand.

"Oh, such a sore loser." Tifa downed the rest of the golden-brown liquid in her glass.

"Ya beat me at poker, kings in the corner, speed, and now slap jack!" Reno shook his head, his red bangs waved back and forth. Tifa caught herself staring at the strands. "Let's play something a little harder."

"Reno, you can't even beat me at slap jack, what makes you think you can win at anything more difficult?" Tifa slurred her words slightly as she poured herself another drink. The man watched the woman sip carefully from her glass.

"Do you have a hump?" Reno chuckled.

"Excuse me?" Tifa raised an eyebrow as she set her glass carefully onto the table.

"You seem to be loading up on the alcohol. Stockpiling for later?" The redhead tapped on the side of the bottle between the two.

"Oh...Sorry. It's been a while since I've drunk this much." Tifa rubbed the bottom of her lower lip with her finger.

"I can tell-" Reno was interrupted by a phone ringing.

"Oh!" Tifa jumped from the loud sound. "The nerve of those people! Calling all day, all night, trying to get orders from Cloud." Tifa stood up slowly as the phone continued it's alarm.

"Are you Cloud's secretary as well?" Reno cocked an eyebrow.

"...No. I suppose I don't have to answer it, do I?" She giggled as she stopped by the staircase. The phone stopped ringing. "Machine got it." Tifa smiled and made her way back to the table to continue her game.

"Who would call this late?" Reno glanced at his watch. "Holy! Tifa! Look what time it is!" the man darted from his chair and snatched up his jacket.

"What time is it?" She looked at the large clock above the bar. "Oh my! The bar was supposed to be closed three hours ago!" The woman stared at Reno in awe.

"Guess we got a little carried away with the games." He laughed nervously as he tugged on his jacket. "Sorry to have stayed so late, I'll be out of your way now." The man turned away from her and headed towards the door.

"Wait!" She reached out but stopped herself. Reno's blue eyes met hers. "Uh...nevermind. I'll see ya tomorrow?" She twirled her hair.

"Tomorrow? Hmm..." Reno put a hand to his chin. "Sorry. I've got the late shift." The man shrugged.

"Oh...okay." The woman smiled. "Well then I guess I'll see ya whenever I see ya next."

"Of course, it won't be long! Can't stay away from this bar too long!" Reno helped Tifa pick up the glasses and bottles on the tables and set them by the sink.

"Why is that?" She tilted her head.

"Tifa! What happens when a fish is taken out of water for too long?" He raised an eyebrow, turning away from her and quickly making his way to the door. Tifa giggled. "Whelp, can't keep the wife waiting." He put a hand in the air.

"What wife?" Tifa put her hands on her hips. Reno stopped abruptly. He turned slowly towards the woman, a hand on his chest.

"Ouch, Tifa...thanks for reminding me." He winked at her before opening the door. A streak of morning light entered the room.

"Bye, Reno." Tifa turned to her dishes. Silence followed for a moment.

"Yo, Strife." Reno's voice called from outside, this alerting Tifa.

She lifted her head to see Cloud in the doorway. He stared at Reno cautiously before making eye contact with the woman. Tifa gave him a smile which the blond did not return.

'What's he thinking?' She clenched her fists.

"Reno..." Cloud nodded to the Turk before closing the door behind him.

"How was work?" Tifa sighed. Small talk had commenced. She wondered how long it would last before Cloud decided to go to bed and leave in the morning for more work, possibly disappearing for days.

* * *

"How'd she do it? How in the hell did she do it?" Sephiroth laughed to himself as he looked over the pool of water at the living. He watched in anger, knowing that Aeris was no longer a part of the Lifestream but a part of life itself. She was living on the face of the planet, enjoying every minute of it.

"Looks like I'll just have to figure out how you did this and kill you all over again!" Sephiroth slapped the rim of the well. The small green orbs of the Lifestream fluttered away as the dark man fell into a fit of laughter.

Sephiroth stared at the pool for the remainder of the day watching life pass by the hour. He growled and snarled at the thoughts of the green eyed woman and how much he would make her life a living hell when he found her. As the sun set once again signaling the approaching night, Sephiroth turned away from the pool in aggravation.

'I'll just have to ask around...get some clues, wreak some havoc.'

* * *

Cloud's footsteps echoed loudly against the wooden floors of the abandoned church. The boards creaked under his weight. The man stared at the pool of water before him. Over the past couple of years he had slowly patched around the pool, adding soil to the edges. Small spouts of vegetation popped from the new ground. The mako eyed man leaned over a certain sprout where a flower bud began to grow.

'Iris...one of her favorites.' Cloud ran a finger down the green stem. A corner of his mouth lifted.

The man tended to the flowers, adding once more soil and seeds. He did not plan on filling the entire pool with flowers, but surrounding it to create a beautiful, garden of life.

After spending a few hours sitting by the pool of water in the small blades of grass and buds, Cloud made his way to a single pew. It was now in the late hours of night, he had to get some sleep before he continued his work the next day. The man laid on the pew, covering himself with his thick blanket. Fall was quickly bringing in the cold weather and Cloud had very little to keep warm.

'I need to bring a heater in here.' he thought about the possibility of making a fire but the idea was quickly thrown out when an image of the burning church came into mind. The last thing he wanted was to also be the cause of annihilating the last standing evidence of Aeris' existence.

Cloud closed his eyes. He hoped he could dream about her again tonight, just to hold her once more.

* * *

Tifa woke up to the sound of Marlene and Denzel fighting. She sat up slowly, groaning. The covers slid down her body as she got up.

'Do they ever stop fighting? I remember when they would get along so well...' She yawned loudly as she made her way to the bickering children's room.

"Will you two stop it?" Tifa leaned against the door frame.

"Marlene started it." Denzel pointed.

"Denzel was being mean!" Marlene held onto her teddy bear.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Stop!" Tifa rubbed her forehead. "I don't care what happened, okay? Just stop fighting and get ready for school..." She sighed as she turned to leave.

"Tifa?" Marlene's voice called out.

"Hmm?" Tifa looked back at her.

"Is Cloud taking us to school again today?" The girl's eyes lit up. Tifa turned her head towards Cloud's room. The door was open and Cloud was nowhere in sight.

"I don't think so, Marlene." Tifa said quietly.

"I told you!" Denzel folded his arms. "Cloud doesn't love us!"

"He does too!" Marlene shrieked as tears stained her cheeks. The girl ran out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

"Denzel!" Tifa growled. "You get your ass dressed, go downstairs and apologize to Marlene!"

"But-" Denzel was cut off again.

"I am sick and tired of all this fighting! It's nonsense! The BOTH of you knock it off!" Tifa turned around walking out of the room. Her arms were raised in the air as she shouted. She knew Marlene had heard everything as well. Tifa threw on some clothes and headed down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Marlene ran after her as Tifa grabbed her keys. Denzel flew down the stairs, his clothes already on.

"I'm going out. You two can walk yourselves to school." The woman looked at the clock. "You've got five minutes to be out the door to make it on time. If I find out either one of you didn't go to class..." Tifa raised a fist.

"Come on Marlene...get dressed." Denzel tugged on the small girl's hand and quickly led her up the stairs. Denzel knew when Tifa was mad, and this morning, she was pissed!

"Don't be late!" Tifa called out as she ran out the door.

'Damn it, Cloud! I'm sick of all this. The fighting, the tears, the loneliness!' Tifa jumped into the car and revved the engine. 'I'm not doing this by myself anymore! I'm gonna make you talk to me, no matter what! You've better have good excuse for leaving us and it better not be because you feel bad for Aeris' death!' The woman sped off in the distance. She knew where to look first.

* * *

Cloud woke up to the sound of banging. His eyes opened quickly.

'What's this sound? Is it raining? Thunder? Did I just hear something about a lunch break?' He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. He felt the ache in his joints from sitting on the hard wooden bench all night long. The banging continued it sounded like...

"Hammering?" Cloud looked up at the roof. There were a group of men on top of the church, hammering and laying boards. 'What the hell!?'

Cloud stood up quickly. There were people all over the roof patching up the holes and mildew. The sound was ungodly in the silent church. Light flooded into the building. The front doors were both open; a soft breeze invaded the room. He heard a soft giggle come from his right side. Cloud felt his heart stop. His body felt like ice all over.

"Ya know, if you're going to be staying in my church so much I would at least expect you to fix the holes in my roof." A soft angelic voice came from the garden area. Slowly, Cloud turned his gaze to the source. "Especially since one of the was caused by you!"

'A dream...it's gotta be. Maybe... I'm hallucinating. I've died...anything to say I'm not crazy!' Cloud felt his heart squeeze at the sight before him.

"Oh my!" The woman before him giggled softly, covering her lips with the backside of her hand. She wore golden bracelets that clanged with each move she made. Her hands led to behind her back where they clasped together. "You act like you've seen a ghost!" she giggled again as she leaned forward, looking over the man.

"Aer..." Cloud stumbled backwards. His blond spikes flopped as he struggled to keep his footing. His mouth gaped open, his eyes were wide in shock. Cloud could feel his heart pounding, for the first time in years he did not know what to do. He froze.

"What was that?" The girl slowly walked to the man. Her hair was tied back in a braid. She had a pink, long sleeved top that sat on the sides of her shoulders, exposing her collarbone. She had a black ribbon tied around her neck. Around her waist was a tan belt that held a white skirt. It was decorated with red flower print and hung just below the knees. She wore brown, leather boots.

"Aeris..." Cloud whispered.

"Hmm..." The woman tapped her chin with a finger. "Correct!" She giggled.

"Am I dead?" Cloud stammered. His eyes were burning and could not keep still. They ventured over her entire body.

"Of course not!" The woman laughed. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm just alive again." She walked past him.

"Alive?" Cloud turned to her quickly. He followed the woman. "You can't be alive! How!? HOW is that possible!?" Cloud began to panic. The woman looked at him, her expression was full of worry.

"Cloud...I don't know." She grabbed a hold of his hand, trying to calm his nerves.

"You don't know!? You can't just wake up from the dead!" He stumbled backwards again, leaning against the side of a pew. It was silent for a minute.

"I did." The woman leaned forward, she enjoyed teasing him, but wondered if he would ever believe her. The church was quiet. The hammering had stopped. Cloud's thoughts were a million a second. He wondered about the hammering crew. Where had they gone? Who was this before him? Was it really Aeris? Could he trust this woman? What if it was a trick? What if it was Sephiroth and he had somehow managed to come back...

"I, I don't know..." Cloud clenched the sides of his head. His eyes squeezed shut trying to make sense of everything.

"Cloud! Calm down!" The woman grabbed his shoulders, holding the man still. He opened his eyes slowly, meeting the woman's gaze. She had bright green eyes. They sparkled when she talked. They held a warm kindness behind them. It was the look Aeris always gave him. Her voice was soft and cheerful. The woman was playful and teased him, like Aeris had done when she was still alive.

"Aeris?" Cloud asked slowly.

"Cloud..." The woman smiled, tears stung her eyes. She had never been so happy to see his face. "I'm back." She smiled.

The woman was pulled into a tight embrace. She was squeezed by two muscular arms, Cloud's arms. She could feel the warmth emanating from his chest, could feel his heart pounding. Aeris smiled as she held onto him as well, never wanting to let go.

"I could never forgive myself, Aeris. I had wished, hoped, prayed every night that there was some way I could fix things. Some way to bring you back..." Cloud's voice shook.

"It's okay Cloud. I never blamed you. There was nothing you could do. I tried to make you realize that." Aeris sniffled. "I guess I had to come back, just to make you realize that things were okay."

Cloud pulled away from the woman. He stared at her face letting everything sink in. He memorized her features. She was exactly as he remembered.

"Aeris..." Cloud whispered. "You're really here!"

"Yeah, Cloud. I'm really here." Aeris gave him a warm smile.

"Please..." Cloud pulled the woman into his arms again, smiling. "If this is a dream, I never want to wake up."

* * *

Tifa pulled up to the side of the church. She looked out her window at the men climbing down from the roof.

'What's going on?' Tifa opened the door to her car slowly. She walked by the group of man who sat on some metal beams and rubble left from the destruction of Midgar. They had lunch pails and were talking happily to each other. Her eyes led to the roof where many holes were covered with new boards and shingles.

"Is Cloud fixing the church?" Tifa looked around curiously. She made her way to the front of the church. The two front doors were open, Tifa stopped dead in her tracks.

"Cloud?" Tifa whispered. Her voice was gone. She couldn't believe her eyes.

Cloud stood in the middle of the church with a woman. He was holding onto that woman tightly as if he never wanted to let go. Tifa stared at Cloud's hands. They were clenched, holding onto the cloth of the woman's shirt. His arms were wrapped around her as he rested his head on hers. Tifa couldn't see the woman's face. It was turned to the side. To make it even worse, Cloud was smiling. It wasn't just an upward turn of a corner lip, but a full fledged grin! Every tooth was showing as he smiled and talked to the woman. Tifa felt her heart sink lower than it ever had sunk before.

'So this is what it's all about? Cloud isn't mourning for Aeris anymore! He's moved on and found a new woman!' Tifa placed a hand on her chest as she ran to her car. 'He's probably fixing this church for that woman to live in...to live in with him!' Tifa felt the tears run down her face.

"Hey, are you alright!?" One of the crewmen called out.

"Fine!" Tifa slammed the door and sped away from the church, vowing to never go there again. "I'm locking the door tonight. Cloud can just stay there in his perfect church with his perfect woman!" Tifa wiped at the tears on her face.

* * *

"Okay, so here's how it works!" Zack was surrounded by thousands of green orbs. "The one who is labeled _'it' _has to run around and chase all of those who are _not_ 'it'." He moved his hands as he talked staring wide eyed at the green orbs.

After a long practice, Zack decided he wanted to play a game. Sadly, Aeris was nowhere in sight. He couldn't find her anywhere.

'She must be really angry with me...' Zack thought a moment before continuing explaining to the spirit orbs the objective of the game. After he couldn't find Aeris, Zack called out to all the orbs declaring it 'fun time'.

"Okay? Then you have to _tag_ someone. Whoever is _tagged_ is the next person '_it'_." The dark haired man looked over the floating orbs.

'Man...I wonder if any of them know what I'm talkin' about? It's hard to tell when there aren't facial expressions!' Zack sighed.

"But be sure when you tag someone you say...Hey!" All the green orbs took off, flying away from Zack as fast as possible and out of sight. "I wasn't finished yet!" he waved his hands in the air and took a step forward, preparing to run after them, but something prevented him from moving.

'The hell!?' Zack felt something tight around his throat.

"Tag...you're it." A cool voice whispered in Zack's ear. He felt the tightness on his throat loosen. A few strands of silver hair fell over his shoulder as an arm appeared around his neck. It was adorned with black gloves and silver bangles. Zack felt himself being lifted from the ground. He kicked his feet wildly.

'Sephiroth!?' Zack felt chills run down his spine as laughter filled his senses.

"Still playing games, Zack?" the voice asked.

"S, Sephi..roth..." Zack choked.

"Correct!" he dropped the young man onto the ground. Zack rolled to his feet quickly, glaring at the intruder. He thought quickly, trying to create a sword from his mind. "Not gonna work, I'm afraid." Sephiroth chuckled as he pulled his Masamune from its sheath. The silver haired man pointed the weapon at Zack.

"What the hell do you want?" Zack growled.

"Ah...straight to the point, no more games I suppose." Sephiroth lowered his blade. He walked around the blue-eyed man slowly. "I was just going to ask you if you knew where your girl was..."

"Aeris!?" Zack felt himself freeze. 'I couldn't find her earlier. Oh no!'

"What'd you do to her!?" Zack darted for the man. Sephiroth rose his blade again.

"Stop..." he only warned.

"Where is she?" Zack snarled.

"Oh, so you don't know?" the man chuckled. "Come, I have something very interesting to show you." Sephiroth turned from Zack, leading him away from his play area. Zack felt his heart pounding in his chest, worried for the well being of Aeris.

"You didn't do anything to her did you?" Zack followed closely behind.

"Of course not? And who knows if I'd even be able to..." Sephiroth shrugged. "I almost found out...that mouth of hers could've cost her her life...again." The man smirked.

"You better leave her alone!" Zack clenched his fists.

"Hmm...well if I leave her alone then who would be there to watch over her?" the evil man glanced back at the ex-soldier. "You've been awfully busy lately..." Sephiroth's words made Zack's heart skip a beat. Was it possible for Aeris to be harmed?

"What's happened?" Zack looked up at the man.

"Patience...I'll show you." Sephiroth chuckled. "You're going to love it." The two entered the marble room and walked slowly to the well in the center. Sephiroth looked into the water, a smile crossed his face. He thought a moment, stirring the water inside. When the image appeared he had wanted he waved for the other man to join his side.

"What's this got to do with Aeris?" Zack walked to the pool and looked in.

"Oh, my boy, it has everything to do with her."

"What!" Zack leaned forward, his hands gripped the sides of the well. "H-how!?"

"That's what I want to know..." Sephiroth watched the scene unfold.

Aeris was in her church. Cloud was next to her, embracing her tightly. A smile crossed both of their faces. Zack felt his heart stutter to a halt. Aeris was alive, and the thing that made his heart stop was the fact that she was clinging onto Cloud and they both were so happy.

"Aeris..." Zack whispered into the pool of water.

"You see? Look what she does. You risk your life for her, die for her and how does she repay you? By finding a way back and not telling you. She went back to that puppet." Sephiroth was enjoying the pained looks Zack gave to his every word. "You see, she and I had a talk right before she did this and she seemed very confused, talking of love and things of the sort." Sephiroth rambled.

"Love?" Zack's face was inches from the water's surface. "LOVE!?" He gaped at the water.

"Didn't know which to love. You, the puppet,...me!" Sephiroth threw his arms into the air. "She's crazy, disrespectful, and she left you here to rot by yourself."

"You?" Zack looked at him in disbelief.

"Straight from her mouth, I tell you." Sephiroth chuckled again. His hand rested on his chest as he held his other in the air. "Really she is a crazy girl!"

"Get the hell out of here!" Zack shoved the tall man. Sephiroth glared at Zack's actions. "Leave us alone! Get out of this Lifestream and go back to the hell you came from!" his black hair hung over his eyes as she shouted at the monster in front of him.

'He tells lies. It's all he's ever done...' Zack clenched his fists. His eyes were glowing with hate.

"Hell!?" Sephiroth snatched the man's wrist, pulling them face to face. "Boy, I am hell! You will figure out how she did this and you will tell me. If not, I'll kill you myself but first I'll give her the most painful death you could ever imagine and I'll make you witness the destruction of this world including it's Lifestream! You think I came from hell, you're wrong! Hell came from me!" the crazed man shoved Zack, sending him across the room and into one of the stone pillars. In a second the man was gone, leaving Zack by himself in the marble room.

"Bas...tard..." Zack coughed as he slowly lifted himself from the ground. He waited a moment before slowly making his way to the pool that Aeris would always sit by.

'She's really gone...she really did leave me here...' Zack stared at the image of Aeris and Cloud. 'But...was it because I ignored her so much?' His vision blurred as tears stung his eyes.

"I didn't mean to make you angry..." Zack whispered to the pool of water. "Please don't tell me you did this to hurt me." He clung onto the sides of the well, his gaze never leaving the image. He closed his eyes.

'How'd she do it? How did she figure this out?' he leaned forward, the image zooming in on her smiling face.

"Aeris." Zack's voice echoed in the silence of the Lifestream.

* * *

Okay going to end it here for now. Thanks for reading! This chapter was originally going to be placed in the last...but as you can see it was way too much too join together. I'll update asap! Please be patient! -Annubis


	4. Chapter 4

Hello again! Thanks for all the readers and the reviews, it's great to hear from you guys and I'm glad you are enjoying this addition to the story. I want to thank 'pied flycatcher' for informing me that 'The Decision Between Life or Death' has been nominated for '**the best completed chaptered fic**' in the **Genesis Awards**! Its an awards site for the best of final fantasy vii fanfiction! If you would like to see the other nominations try this link: genesisawards./index.cgi?boardsubmitnominations&actiondisplay&thread1177937142 lol. it's kinda long. I'm so surprised, i never thought I'd get nominated for anything and the best part is I'm on the list with 'I know whats beneath the snow fields'! Thanks so much to the member called '**Silent**' for nominating me! You made my day, and gave me new inspiration! -Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 4**

He felt his feet aching as he crossed the plain. There was no need to stop, he had to make it to Edge as soon as possible. Vincent felt around in the pocket of his dark jacket.

'Why won't they answer the phone? I wonder if they're in trouble?' Vincent pulled out his PHS and stared at the brightly colored screen. There was no use, Tifa and Cloud hadn't answered the phone at all in the past two days.

Vincent went through his address list, debating on his next actions. If Cloud and Tifa were indeed in trouble he may want to call the others to warn them about what he had seen in the Ancient City. He stared at the number at the bottom of his list and felt a shiver run down his spine.

'I've got to call her. She'd never leave me alone if I didn't.' Vincent sighed as he hit the send button, he may as well call her first to get it over with. At least he'd have an excuse to get off the line to call the others. He listened to the dull tones of the ringer as he trudged along the grassy path.

_"Hello!? Vincent!? Vincent is that you!? Why the hell did it take you so long to call me!? Ya know, I've only known you for YEARS now! So what the hell's going on with you? Anything new?"_ Yuffie's voice pierced through the man's ears.

It wasn't that he didn't like the girl, it was just that she was always too energetic. She could talk for hours and every minute would be as loud and cheery as the first.

"Yuffie. I have something I need to tell you." Vincent interrupted her banter.

_"Something to tell me?"_ Yuffie's voice was high pitched, full of excitement. He could tell she was ready to burst. He waited another moment before telling her._ "Stop it, Vincent! You never call me unless it's something real good! Spill it already!" _

"You've got to let me finish the whole story before you interrupt, okay? And I can't talk too long, I've got others to call." Vincent stared at the gray sky above.

* * *

"Marlene what are you doing?" Denzel set his lunch box on the counter. The little girl was sitting at the bar, swinging her feet slowly as she rested her head on her arms. He cringed when he looked at the clock. He stayed after school too long with the other kids.

"Waiting for Tifa to come out of her room." Marlene sighed.

"How long has she been in there?" Denzel raised an eyebrow.

"Since I've been home..." Marlene shook her head.

"But...that was two hours ago, Marlene!" the boy leaned over the counter, staring at her in shock. "Is she dead!?"

"What do you think?" the girl rolled her eyes. "She only tells me that she doesn't feel well and she's locked the door."

"But she was supposed to open up the bar by now. She's gonna get in trouble." the boy ran up the stairs. "TIFA!"

"Denzel, leave her alone!" Marlene leapt from the bar stool and followed the boy up the wooden stairs.

"Hey! Tifa! What are you doing?" Denzel knocked on the door. "The bar is supposed to be open. People are gonna get mad."

_"I don't care!" _came a muffled voice from inside the room.

"She won't come out, I've been trying for a long time." Marlene leaned against the wall.

"But...she's a grownup. She's not supposed to act like this." Denzel sighed. "Maybe she needs help!" the boy turned and ran down the stairs, jumping over the last few.

"Help? How are we gonna help! We can't touch the alcohol, Tifa would kill us!"the girl watched as Denzel pulled on the cabinets and drawers.

"Damn...she locked 'em." He climbed onto one of the stools.

"You're just gonna cause more trouble for Tifa if you got into any of that stuff anyway." The girl sat next to the boy. They sat alone in the bar listening to the ticking of the large clock. Their silence was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. The two children spun around quickly.

"...this place is dead." a man entered the room. He was tall and wore dark clothing. Marlene's eyes bugged out.

"You're back!" she jumped from the bar stool and sprinted across the room towards the man.

"Marlene!" Denzel slowly climbed from his stool as well but he did not follow her. He didn't recognize the man. 'Why would she run up to a complete stranger!?' he folded his arms and looked up and down at the man. He stared at his dark boots, dark pants, and dark jacket. Everything about him was dark including his hair and his expression.

"We've missed you!" the little girl wrapped her arms around the man's waist. Denzel watched in a disapprovingly manner.

"..." the man's red eyes watched the girl as he placed a gold arm around her back.

'Gold arm?' Denzel recalled a man from a few years ago who had a metallic claw and wore a red cape.

"Where's Tifa?" He asked Marlene.

"Vincent! You've got to help Tifa!" Marlene was already on the verge of tears. Vincent felt his heart skip a beat.

"Why? What's wrong?" He kneeled next to the girl and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"She won't come out of her room. She refuses." Denzel stayed by the bar. Marlene looked back at the boy as she sniffled.

"How long has she been in there?" Vincent stood slowly and made his way towards the stairs.

"Probably all day." the boy groaned. He stared at Vincent as he walked up the stairs towards Tifa's room.

"Vincent will help. He's a good friend of Tifa's." Marlene beamed. It was amazing how quickly her mood could change.

"You sure? He looks a little...creepy." Denzel muttered under his breath.

"You're face is creepy!" she stuck out her tongue. "Besides, this is the closest to normal I've ever seen him!"

"This is normal? You call that claw, normal?" Denzel made his way to the foot of the stairs. He raised an eyebrow. Vincent was staring at the door, but he wasn't moving or speaking. "Marlene...this guy's weird."

"He is not!" She shoved the boy out of the way and climbed the stairs. Denzel followed slowly.

Vincent stared at the knob on the door. He didn't bother to turn it, he figured the children already tried numerous times. He raised his hand to the door and knocked softly.

"Tifa?" he called out in a low voice. It was almost soothing, a great contrast to the children's yelling and pounding. Silence followed. Vincent reached for the knob. "Tifa. Can I come in? Please?" he turned the knob.

"She won't let you in. I bet not even Cloud could get her out." Marlene sighed.

"I bet she's in there because of Cloud." Denzel added. Vincent turned to the children.

"I'll try my best to get her out. While I do, why don't you two post a note telling everyone the bar is closed for the night." the man patted Marlene on the shoulder.

"...Then can we watch TV?" Denzel beamed.

"Sure." the man nodded.

"Come on, Marlene!" the boy grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her towards the stairs. She followed apprehensively, and looked back at Vincent.

"Make her happy Vincent. She was angry this morning..." the girl added before disappearing around the corner.

'I'll try my best...' Vincent sighed softly.

"Tifa..." he called through the door with a little edge to his voice. "Why are you locked up in there?" he leaned his head against the door, his long hair pooled over a shoulder. There was no answer.

"Alright. You give me no choice. I'm coming in and you're not stopping me." the man pulled a pointed, metallic finger towards the lock on the door. He turned his wrist a few times as he twisted the knob. He heard the soft click of the door opening and slowly pushed against the surface, opening it further.

"Tifa...you in here?" The voice invaded the room. He looked at the bed. In the center of the messy sheets was a blanketed covered lump. Vincent gave a crooked grin as he stepped slowly towards the bump on the bed. He sat next to it; he felt the lump move towards the new depression in the mattress. Vincent placed his metallic hand on the lump and patted it softly. He stared out the window.

"The leaves are beginning to change color. The bright, lively green will soon fade into the hues of red and orange. The tips will freeze with soft blades of ice as a dead color follows. They will tumble and fall throughout the harsh winds of winter. No one despairs, however, because they know that the beautiful liveliness will return and bring smiles upon faces once again. One should not fret, because then the simple things are no longer beautiful." the man stood and made his way to the window. He watched as the sun began to set early. "You're missing the simple things, Tifa." He glanced towards the bed and waited.

The lump shifted and a hand came into view. The hand tugged on the blanket revealing Tifa's face, the rest of her being remained hidden. He could see that she had been crying and her hair hung in her face.

"Like what?" she grumbled. Her brown eyes stared at his, it was an innocent stare, one that Marlene would give.

"Like this." a pointed claw tapped on the window pane. Tifa pulled her head and shoulders from the covers as she sat up. The light from the window shown onto her face, giving her an orange glow. Her pearl earrings sparkled in the light.

"..." Tifa set her bare feet onto the ground. She held the blanket around her as she walked to the window. She stared at Vincent's eyes. The orange light made his eyes glow even more, contrasting greatly with his dark hair. She gave him a wry smile before turning her attention to the setting sun. "I didn't know you were so corny."

"Excuse me?" he turned to her, his hands on his hips. Tifa giggled. "So...I'm a romantic."

"I'd say so. A natural poet." She giggled again. Her head tilted to the side. "I don't think I remember the last time I saw you blush, Vincent."

The man cleared his throat. He turned his head away from her and placed a hand on his head. There was a slight pause before he turned back to her.

"See the thanks I get? I come all the way here because I was worried about you and you say such horrible things to me." the man stared at the purple clouds in the sky.

"Worried?" Tifa's mood changed.

"Well, I've been trying to call you and Cloud the past couple of days and I've got no answer. I've even left messages."

"Messages? Oh! Vincent I'm sorry! I never even thought it was you who was calling. I didn't answer because I thought it was just more orders for Cloud and I forgot to check the messages...because...I just forgot." She leaned her head against the cold window pane. She immediately felt the bumps spread across her skin as she shivered.

"I had thought that maybe something had happened. I have something important to talk to the both of you about. Do you know when Cloud will be home?" He glanced at the woman. She breathed out slowly, her breath fogged the glass. He watched her patiently as she wrote her name on the window. "Will he even be home tonight, Tifa?"

"...Why did you leave us, Vincent?" the woman placed her hand on the cold surface and wiped away her name. Her chocolate eyes met his.

"Tifa. I..." He sighed. The problem was obviously Cloud and he thought it best to go ahead and change subject. "I had things to do."

"But you never said anything. You just left! There was nothing, no phone calls, no messages, no letters, nothing..." Tifa lowered her head. "We were worried."

"You shouldn't worry about me, Tifa." Vincent placed his hand on her shoulder. The room was silent for a minute. The glow was fading into a red-violet. Vincent's eyes no longer held the brilliant glow from minutes before.

"You can't tell someone not to worry about you." She shook her lowered head slowly. Her hair crawled over her shoulder and across her front. Her eyes raised. "How is she?"

"...She's still distant. Hides in that cave...within that crystal garden of hers. She keeps wanting to hide and blame herself for everything." Vincent dropped his hand from her shoulder and leaned forward against the thin window sill.

"Sounds familiar." Tifa scoffed. She looked out the window. Vincent turned his head toward her.

"It does, doesn't it?" a smirk crossed his face. "Sounds like the both of us."

"You and... me? or-." Tifa bit her lip.

"Me and Cloud." Vincent pushed his hair behind his shoulders.

"Oh, yeah." She let out an airy laugh. "Don't change the subject, Vincent. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't tell you." the red eyed man pressed his forehead against the window. "I just couldn't, Tifa."

"But why?" her hand wrapped around his. He looked at her, his gaze questioning. He could see new tears rim her eyes. He turned to her, staring down at her. The purple lights from the approaching night covered her face. She grabbed his metallic hand as well. She was the only one Vincent had ever known who would touch his cursed limb.

"I...I didn't want to hurt you." He couldn't look into her eyes. "I couldn't bare to see you get like this because of me. I couldn't bare the thought of hurting you like that." his voice was barely audible, low and soft like in a dream.

"It still hurt. It hurt more than anything..." Tifa whispered. Vincent felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. "I would have wanted you to tell me."

"..." He looked down at her hands in his. He let out a ragged breath. "I...I was afraid that if I had come to tell you that I was leaving that I would never-."

A knock on the door downstairs interrupted the conversation. Vincent tore his gaze away from the woman entirely, he stared at the messy covers on the bed. The woman let out a gasp.

"Cloud's home! Cloud's home!" Marlene and Denzel's voice called out.

"Oh! No...don't let him in!" Tifa dropped Vincent's hands. She looked at him with apologetic eyes. He smirked and nodded his head. She dropped her blanket and darted out of the room.

'I would never have left...and it would have pained me to stay to see you like this.' Vincent stared at the rising moon.

"No! No! NO!" Tifa approached the opening door. She saw Cloud's face as she pushed against the door and slammed it.

"What?" Cloud's voice called from the other side.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Denzel rushed to Tifa's side.

"Denzel! Don't use that language!" Tifa fought with the door opening again. She let out a nervous laugh as she shoved it closed again and pulled up the chain to lock the door.

"Tifa! What're you doing?" Cloud's voice called out.

"What's happening? Is Cloud in trouble?" Marlene gaped at the scene.

"Children, be good and do as I say, please?" Tifa breathed heavily as she tried to hold the door closed. She laughed again. This was ridiculous! The two children nodded their heads. "Okay, please go upstairs, you can watch TV in Cloud's room."

"The big one!?" Denzel jumped up and down.

"Yup! You can even watch one of his movies he's got up there too!" Tifa chirped.

"The scary ones!?" Marlene held her hands to her chest.

"You...bet!" Tifa groaned. "Just go! NOW!"

"Whoo hoo!" Denzel and Marlene dashed out of the room and upstairs. Once they were out of sight Tifa let go of the door.

"Whew!" She took a deep breath. The door popped open and stopped abruptly because of the chain lock.

"Tifa! What the hell!?" Cloud gaped at the woman through the small crack in the door. His eyes were wide.

"Don't you give me that!" Tifa hissed through the crack in the door.

"Um...did I do something wrong?" Cloud raised an eyebrow.

"What do you think?" She scowled.

"Tifa, I...I don't understand. Is it because I'm home this late? I've been later before." Cloud chuckled nervously.

"No Cloud! It's not that. Actually I'm sick of you coming home late, I'm sick of you leaving and never coming back, I'm sick of raising the kids all alone in this hell hole of a home!I-" She was cut off.

"Tifa. I know. I haven't been the greatest lately. And I am really sorry, but can we talk about this later?" His blue eyes pleaded at her. Tifa held her breath, she would melt any day for that gaze but she couldn't allow herself to give in.

"We'll never talk about it, it's now or never!" Tifa stomped her foot. She saw Cloud look over his shoulder a moment. This raised her curiosity.

"I've got good news, Tifa. I wanted to surprise you but I had some things to do before I came home." He put his hand through the crack in the door, reaching for the latch on the lock.

'Something to do? You mean someone!' Tifa's thoughts were only worsening her anger.

"Oh no you don't! What's this wonderful news about?" She pushed his hand away.

"Well...if you'd open the door I would show you, but I think you've pretty much ruined the mood of the situation." Cloud sighed. Tifa thought she heard something come from next to him.

"What? Is there someone with you?" Tifa clenched her fists. 'He didn't. He wouldn't dare bring that-' her thoughts were cut off.

"I wanna see her!" Marlene came running down the stairs. "I wanna see sis!"

"What? Marlene, go back upstairs." Tifa pointed towards the staircase.

"No, not until I see her!" the girl clenched her fists.

"Marlene...let Tifa take care of this." Vincent's voice called from the foot of the stairs.

"Oh, Vincent, I'm so sorry." Tifa sighed. She just wanted to go back to her room for fifty years.

"Tifa? Can you at least unlock the door and let me in? I'll explain everything to you." Cloud mumbled. He was leaning forward, trying to get a batter look at Tifa's face.

'Has she been crying?' Cloud frowned.

"Explain what?" Tifa asked.

"Sister!" Marlene's voice called out. Tifa heard a giggle come from the other side of the door, and it sure as hell wasn't Cloud.

"You did bring her here!" Tifa glared at the door.

"Tifa, does Cloud have someone with him?" Vincent called suddenly. He approached her. "I think you better let him in."

"What the hell's going on!?" Tifa tugged on her hair. Vincent unlocked the door and let Cloud in.

"Vincent!" Cloud stood up. He rubbed the back of his head. "Long time no see!"

"Cloud. I have something to tell you and Tifa, but I have a feeling you already know what that something is." Vincent looked around the corner of the doorway. A smile crossed his face. He spun back around, facing an angry and confused Tifa.

"What...is...going...on?" she folded her arms.

"Take a deep breath and calm down. Things obviously are not as you think." Vincent sat in a chair by one of the tables. Tifa stared at him in disbelief.

"Um, Tifa. I'm not really sure why you're so pissed at me, but I have a surprise for you." Cloud gave her a sheepish smile. Tifa felt her heart explode.

'A surprise for me? What? Why? But...that woman?' Tifa bit her lower lip.

"Now...It's probably something you should sit down for. I mean, it's not your typical surprise." Cloud laughed nervously. He turned his head and looked outside. Tifa leaned, trying to see what he was looking at.

'Maybe it's a new car.' Tifa smirked.

"I think I'll stand. I'm calm now." She put her hands on her hips.

"Ok, if you say so." Cloud smiled and waved his hand as if cuing someone. Tifa raised an eyebrow. The blond stepped out of the way as a person walked into Tifa's bar. The person was a she, and she had long brown hair, it was the woman Cloud was holding in the church. Tifa, for a split second, felt like terrorizing the entire place and then she saw the woman's bright green eyes.

"C, Cloud..." Tifa felt herself get sick. Every one of her hairs stood on end. "Sh, she has eyes like Aeris..." Tifa pointed.

"Sis!" Marlene ran to the woman and wrapped her arms around he middle.

"Oh my! So much excitement today!" The woman giggled. Her brown braid swung as she knelt next to the girl. Tifa's eyes bugged out as she turned her gaze from Cloud to Vincent and back.

"I thought you were dead!" Marlene exclaimed.

"Well, now. That seems a little unlikely now, doesn't it?" the woman stood. "Hey, I tell ya what...why don't you go back upstairs and I'll come up to see you in a bit. I have something _very_ important to do and then I'll talk to you for as long as you want."

"You promise? You'll even stay the night!?" Marlene jumped up and down.

"I promise!"

"Ok!" Marlene darted up the stairs and back into Cloud's office.

Tifa stood in awe, she felt her legs shaking. This wasn't possible, this did not just happen. She stared at the brilliant eyes in front of her.

"Aeris...But...it's not possible..." Tifa mumbled. Vincent stood, carrying a chair with him. He set it behind Tifa as she fell. She landed hard in the seat.

"Hi, Tifa. It really is me... Aeris."

"...but I saw you...when you died." Tifa muttered.

"I did die, Tifa. I just didn't want Marlene to know. I've been with Cloud all day." Aeris smiled. She sat down next to Tifa. Cloud shut the front door.

"I know, I saw you." Tifa laughed.

"You...saw us?" Aeris looked back at Cloud. "Oh, goodness! Cloud! I bet that's why she was so upset with you!" Aeris giggled.

"Huh?" Cloud scratched his head.

"You thought...he was seeing another woman?" Aeris leaned forward, grabbing her friend's hands.

"Oh my! I feel like such an idiot!" Tifa leaned back in the chair. "Wait...another woman? I, well we..."

"Cloud and I have had a long talk today about things. I made him promise that he'll do better at helping you with the kids. I've watched you with them, and their a lot of work!" Aeris smiled. She turned her attention to Vincent. "Hi, Vincent!" She waved.

"I saw you. As well." he replied.

"You saw me?" Aeris looked around the room. "When?"

"When you came out of the water. I was in the city, one of the places I usually visit. I had heard something strange coming from the pond so I went to investigate." His metallic claws tapped on the table. Tifa watched the other woman in awe.

"I bet you were quite surprised!" Aeris giggled. "I was so afraid I was going to drown!"

"Indeed I was, and that was why I was trying to get ahold of _you_ two the past couple of days." Vincent eyed Cloud.

"I see. So you were worried because...maybe if Aeris was alive..." Tifa sat up in her chair. The room remained silent.

"Sephiroth..." Cloud clenched his fists. He stared at the floor beneath his feet.

"Oh...I wouldn't worry about him just yet. He is looking for a way out, but I am pretty sure he has no clue how I got back here." Aeris stood up.

"Wait...Sephiroth was with you in the Lifestream?" Cloud gaped at the green eyed girl.

"Yup. He found me." Aeris shivered. "And he's still as bad as ever!"

"How did you get back here?" Tifa was bewildered. There were so many questions. Aeris had a feeling that she was going to be up all night long.

"Well, actually, I'm not quite sure. I know it has something to do with the Lifestream...at least that's my bet." she twirled her locks with a finger.

"I've called everyone else and told them about the situation, they are heading for Edge as we speak. I imagine they'll all be here by tomorrow night." Vincent added this bit of information.

"Everyone!?" Aeris gasped. "I'll get to see them again!" She hopped with excitement.

"Looks like I'll have to close the bar down again..." Tifa sighed.

"Red XIII will be here as well, but I presume later than the others. He mentioned something about his grandfather's records and researching the Lifestream and it's capabilities with the Cetra." Vincent eyed Aeris.

"Then maybe he can tell us something about how Aeris was able to come back." Tifa grinned. "This is gonna take a while to get used to. I'm still finding it hard to believe."

"Oh, your bar! Tifa can I help tomorrow? Maybe instead of closing it completely we can just close early." Aeris held her hands out in front of her. "Can I help? It would be so much fun!"

Tifa stared at the woman, how could she say no? This was her best friend. Tifa had thought just the other day how much she had missed Aeris and had wanted her company.

"Sure thing." Tifa smiled.

"Oh, and I'm sure Vincent will help as well!" Aeris wrapped an arm around the man's chest. He stiffened under her touch, Aeris giggled.

"Of course..." He muttered.

"Great then tomorrow it'll be just like old times!" the green eyed woman cheered.

"But wait..." Cloud started. Everyone stared at him. "Where's Zack?"

"Oh...yeah..." Aeris' grin quickly faded into a frown. She walked towards the door, in front of everyone. "I forgot about that...he doesn't know."

"He doesn't know!?" Cloud placed a hand to his forehead.

"But, but I can change that! It's just...I wanted to make sure I knew how to do it first. It was more like a test run..." Aeris looked at the ground, her foot poked the wooden floor. "You see...I was gonna go back and tell him once I figured out how I came back."

"Go back and tell him?" Tifa stood from her chair.

"Yeah..." Aeris let her breath out slowly.

"And...how exactly do you plan on doing that?" Cloud eyed the woman suspiciously.

"Um...well...you see..." Aeris looked at everyone. She bit on her knuckle.

"Oh no..." Vincent murmured. Aeris took a deep breath and turned towards Cloud.

"Cloud...I need you to kill me." The room went silent.

* * *

Okay thats the end of this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. I will apologize in advance if theres a long delay in the next chapter. I will be in two different states within the two weeks. I hope I will find the time between the wedding and the trip to write the chapter. Don't worry, I do plan on writing asap, and I will try to get it up within the next week! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone! I am so sorry i did not get the new chapter posted until now! I was totally planning on it while i was on vacation but i was a lot busier than i thought...i knew better. Besides, i forgot the jump drive, my Internet card on the laptop doesn't work and neither does the battery...so i was screwed anyways. Well i had a lovely time at the wedding, it went by so fast and it took so long to plan! And Florida was a lot of fun, yay Disney World! Lol. They should have a kingdom hearts theme there, at least i didn't see anything if they do already! Well ill quit my yapping! Thanks for stickin with me. I hope none of you gave up on me. There will no longer be any vacations or anything to keep me from posting now. Enjoy this new chapter! -annubis

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"Say that again?" Cloud stammered. He felt his legs give out from under him.

"...I need you to kill me..." Aeris whispered. She tore her eyes away from him.

"What are you talking about!?" Tifa stood from her chair. Vincent remained silent. He rested on his elbows on the table clasping his hands in front of his chin.

"K, kill...you..." Cloud took in deep breaths.

"I'm sorry, but it's the only way." Aeris turned toward the man. "I'll come back!" She pasted a fake smile on her face.

"Come back?" Cloud shivered. "You don't even know for sure how you got here... how can you be sure you'll be able to do it again?"

"...If it doesn't work again, I'll just think of another way out." Aeris stared at the floor.

"No! Aeris, you can't do this!" Tifa grabbed her friend's shoulders and shook them.

"...Please...Tifa..." Aeris sniffled. "I have to go back. I have to tell him..."

"You can't do this to Cloud!" Tifa stared into her green eyes.

"..." the Cetra's lip quivered.

"He still hasn't gotten over what happened last time, and he didn't even kill you! Sephiroth did!" Tifa's voice raised in pitch.

"Tifa..." Vincent interrupted.

"No, Vincent! I won't keep quiet! There's no way we can do this!" She threw her arms in the air. Her eyes were sharp on Vincent's. He returned the cold stare. The woman quickly turned back to Aeris. "Aeris, we lost you once, we can't lose you again. We all were so torn apart, we can't take the chance that you won't return to us." Tifa's voice shook.

"It'll work. I'm sure." Aeris said quickly.

"So you're ready to die again? Already?" Vincent questioned.

"Yes! Anytime! Next week, tomorrow...tonight. As long as I can tell Zack. He would hate me forever if I didn't let him know." Aeris hung her head.

"No! Aeris, you can't!" the woman friend cried out frantically.

"I'm sorry...I don't know what else to do." tears stung Aeris' eyes.

"I can't, please don't make me..." Cloud's voice cracked. He was leaning against the wall, hiding his face from everyone.

"..." Silence filled the room. No one made eye contact, but everyone's mind was winding, trying to think of another solution. They stayed that way for a long time, it seemed the clock itself had stopped to make time to find another way.

"I'll do it." Vincent's cool voice broke the silence.

"What!?" Tifa turned to him. "You can't!"

"I can...and I can do it right now, if you please." Vincent reached into his jacket and pulled out the deadly Cerberus. Aeris stared at him uneasily. "It won't hurt..." He pulled back the hammer and aimed it at the woman who was now taking a few steps back.

"Vincent?" Tifa cowered to the corner of the room, her eyes were wide in fear.

"You are mad." Cloud muttered. He took a step towards Aeris, his gaze never leaving the man. Vincent's stare never strayed from his target.

"I, I can't..." Aeris shook her head slowly. She stared down the barrel of the weapon.

"Why can't you?" Vincent stepped forward. "You just told Cloud to, why can't I?"

"Stop it!" Tifa screamed.

"I...because I'm..." tears fell down the brunette's cheeks.

"It'll be quick...It'll be all over in a minute, I promise." Vincent ran to the woman. In a flash he was against her, pressing her against the wall. The barrel of the weapon pressed into her gut. Cloud and Tifa had no time to move.

Aeris' green eyes stared at the opposite before her. Vincent's blood red stare was calling out for her own blood. Aeris felt her heart skip numerous beats. Her body went cold. She never expected this. It'll all be over soon and she'll be back in the Lifestream.

"You bastard!" Cloud sprang towards the man. Tifa fell to the floor, hitting her knees hard.

'This isn't Vincent. He would never be so cold!' the bar tender wrapped her arms around herself.

"Back!" Vincent called out. He pushed the barrel of the gun further into the woman's stomach. Cloud froze instantly.

The room remained silent for what seemed like minutes. Aeris continued to stare at her soon to be killer. Vincent showed no emotion, no doubt a trait he learned from being a Turk so many years ago. He pushed his head forward, his lips rested by her ear.

"You said you wanted it. Now how do you feel?" Vincent whispered. "You shiver underneath me, what difference does it make whether I kill you, or Cloud?"

"I...just..." Aeris swallowed hard. "I'm not..."

"You're not ready." Vincent pulled back. "You have no idea whether or not you'll make it back. You have no clue how to come back if I did kill you." He pushed away from her.

"Vincent, what the hell was that!?" Tifa balled her fists.

"I was testing her." Vincent simply replied. He sat back in his chair and watched the three stare at him.

"You didn't have to go that far!" Cloud stomped towards the table Vincent sat at.

"She may have been a little more calm if you were the hand of her death, but it is true, you wouldn't have been able to handle it. What would happen if you failed to kill her? What would happen if you did kill her? She said it herself, she's not ready. You'd only beat yourself up over it for another lifetime if she could never come back. Her uneasiness proves that she's unsure whether she can come back. You never know, many things could come into play. The Lifestream, the killer, the weapon, the location of the wound, maybe it all has to be played out in the exact same way." Vincent eyed Aeris.

"But what if she wasn't uneasy, would you have killed her just then!?" Cloud slapped his hand against the table.

"Of course not." Vincent scoffed. "I'm not that much of an asshole." He stood from his chair and approached the Cetra. He rested a hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle smile.

"I'm sorry if I scared you. I had to make sure, I had to prove to you that we...you still don't understand anything that has happened. It is best to just wait for the others to arrive and talk it over. Besides even if it had to come to killing you again, you know very well that no one would be able to do it.." Vincent glanced at Tifa. She was glaring at him. That stare was almost as scary as the demon inside himself.

"You didn't have to do that..." Tifa growled.

"No...he's right." Aeris spoke up. "I was stupid. I should have never asked for such a ridiculous thing. I would just be hurting everyone all over again. I shouldn't have rushed. I shouldn't have asked."

"Aeris. I realize what you were trying to do...but I think we should try to investigate the situation a little better." Cloud sighed.

"I suppose I didn't have to frighten you all so much." Vincent smirked.

"You nearly scared me to death..." Aeris smiled lightly. "Just...never do that again, please!" She slapped his arm.

"You're gonna get an earful in a minute, Vincent." Tifa's voice was low. She lifted one hand, pulling her finger towards herself calling Vincent to her. Her other hand rested on her hip.

"Careful, Vincent. I'm guessing today hasn't been the best day for her." Aeris bit her lip.

Vincent cleared his throat. He glanced at Cloud, who only shook his head, and then slowly made his way towards the angry woman. He was only about five feet away from her before she snagged his arm and pulled him outside the bar.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?" Tifa's voice echoed into the night air as the door slammed shut behind the two.

Aeris and Cloud were left alone in the silence. They looked around aimlessly.

"So...this is the bar..." Aeris tilted her head.

"Yup. My office is upstairs along with the bedrooms." Cloud cleared his throat.

"Ya know. I think Tifa would like a house." Aeris turned to the man.

"...I'm sure the kids would like one too." Cloud murmured awkwardly.

"I think the kids would like a father as well." she eyed the man, smiling wryly. She approached the bar.

"I suppose." Cloud darted his eyes around.

"And Tifa would probably love a husband." she added quickly. The woman lifted a glass from the counter top and turned to him. "Drink?"

"Please." Cloud nodded.

* * *

The alarm clock buzzed loudly in Tifa's ear. She quickly flopped onto her side, slamming her hand onto the large button sitting atop the noisy contraption. Her head was spinning. She was exhausted.

'Funny...I don't remember drinking anything...' Tifa squeezed her eyes shut as the sunlight flooded into the room. She could smell and hear the sounds of breakfast.

"Ah, what time is it!?" Tifa jumped out of bed. She stared at her clock closely. "Oh! The kids!" She darted out of the room and down the stairs.

'How many times did I hit that sleep button!?' She turned the corner and paused.

"Tifa!" Denzel called out. He had a plate full of pancakes and bacon.

"You're already dressed..." Tifa mumbled. She looked over the bar. Marlene was finishing her breakfast, sitting next to Cloud. Vincent stood by the bar, sipping from his cup of coffee and Aeris stood in the kitchen, grilling up some eggs.

"Hey Tifa! Whew, I've been cooking all morning! How do you like your eggs?" Aeris smiled.

"Uh...scrambled." Tifa sat on the stool by the bar. "Why didn't anyone get me up?"

"Well, we decided you've been a little too stressed out lately and would need some rest. I forgot to check to see if you had your alarm set. If I had known I would've let you sleep in longer." Aeris flipped a pancake in one of the skillets.

"Oh...I think I've slept enough, thanks." She grinned at the sight around her. It had been so long since she had so much company. Her eyes stopped on Cloud. She blushed when she noticed he was already staring at her.

"No orders today." He smiled softly.

"Really?" Tifa gasped. Cloud nodded.

"I'll take the kids to school." Vincent murmured. He headed for the door.

"Come on Denzel!" Marlene tugged on the boy's arm as he shoved his last piece of bacon into his mouth.  
"Hold on, Marlene! Gah!" He rolled his eyes. He grabbed his backpack and waved to everyone. "Bye Tifa!"

"You kids be good for Vincent." Tifa giggled.

"As long as he doesn't scare my friends!" Denzel grumped. This caused a laugh from the adults in the room. Vincent turned his eyes to the boy, whom shut his mouth very quickly. They left the bar.

"So...what do you do during the day before you open the bar?" Aeris leaned on the counter top. She picked up a small piece of bacon.

"Well...usually I get the kids ready. I may get groceries or run some errands, and then I clean up the place and finish whatever dishes I have to do still." Tifa stabbed her pancake with a fork.

"Sounds...exciting!" Aeris giggled.

"You have no idea." Tifa rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"Why don't you two go shopping and I'll clean up here?" Cloud interrupted.

"Leave you here with my bar?" Tifa turned on her stool.

"Yeah...is that a problem?" Cloud crossed his arms.

"Nope! Guess not!" Tifa glanced at Aeris. "Wanna go shopping? We can get some food for a nice dinner tonight. We'll also get you some new clothes for you to wear."

"Sounds fun!" Aeris beamed. She placed the dishes in the sink and eyed Cloud. "Better hurry or you'll have a tough time getting those eggs and pancakes off the pans!"

"Oh, and don't forget to sweep and mop the floors, and to wash all the glasses, set up the tables and chairs, open up the shop on time, set out the snacks, annnddd..." She rubbed her chin, trying to make up more work for Cloud. "Wash the windows and fix the fan in the corner."

"Anything else?" Cloud sighed.

"And always smile!" Aeris grinned widely and poked her cheeks. The two women giggled.

"Yes ma'am!" Cloud stood from his chair. He headed towards the sink and bumped into Aeris purposefully, pushing her out of the way. "Erm...excuse me." He ignored her glare and began to fill the sink with water.

"Jerk!" She slapped his arm.

"Better get going Tifa, I wouldn't want you to miss any sales at the mall." Cloud scoffed.

"Hey! This was your idea ya know!" Tifa sneered. Cloud grinned and shoved his hands into the sink, scrubbing a pan.

"Yeah, remind me never to offer again." He stared at the bubbles.

"Oh, admit it, you love being bossed around!" Aeris grinned.

"Damn right he does." Tifa headed up the stairs. "Come on, Aeris. I'll give you some clothes to change into for today."

"Coming!" Aeris followed her. She poked her head around the corner. "Oh, and Cloud? I wanna see my face shining in those dishes, you hear me?" She quickly ran up the stairs as a handful of soapy water flew towards her.

Cloud focused on the dishes as the girls got ready. His mind churned trying to think of what outfit Tifa would find suitable for Aeris. Nothing seemed modest enough. Maybe Aeris would prefer something from Cloud's closet. The thought took him back to Wall Market so many years ago and the outfit he had to wear that certainly impressed Don Corneo. He shivered at the thought of the blue dress and horrible blond pigtailed wig. He grinned at the memory of the girl's faces when he was chosen over them. Tifa never looked anymore pissed and he had never seen Aeris so red in the face.

'I'm such a sexy bitch...' Cloud smirked.

"It's fine! Don't worry about it!" Tifa's voice called out.

"But...I don't know Tifa. I haven't worn a skirt this short since...ever!" Aeris' voice followed.

"But your legs look great in those heels!" Tifa giggled.

"Ok...you're just making fun now!" Aeris huffed. Cloud tilted his head, trying to hear the conversation better. "My feet already hurt!"

"Oh stop complaining! The boys won't know that your feet hurt." the dark haired woman giggled.

"Boys!? But, but I... Oh, Tifa!" Cloud could imagine the shade of red that had crossed Aeris' face.

"Don't worry about it! For now, you're alive, you've gotta live! Besides it's not like you're gonna be alone! I'll be right there beside ya'!." There were footsteps approaching the stairway. They paused momentarily. "Well, aren't you coming?"

"But...what if Cloud sees?" Aeris whispered.

"Even better!" Tifa giggled."Now, Come on!"

"You don't think this top isn't the least bit revealing?" the green eyed woman was stalling.

"Get down here!" Tifa hollered.

Cloud heard a yelp that was followed by quick footsteps down the stairs. He was very curious to see what all the commotion was about. Once again his mind ticked as to what the girls would be wearing. Aeris seemed a little upset. Cloud imagined her adorned in the outfit Tifa used to wear in their earliest journey. He had to suppress a laugh. That was a big difference to Aeris' long pink dress and red jacket.

"Okay! What do you think?" Tifa's voice called out. Cloud was torn from his thoughts. His head turned quickly to the side of the bar where the two women sat. His jaw dropped.

The two women's hair was down, flowing around their shoulders. Tifa had her typical earrings and Aeris wore gold rings in her ears, matching the bracelets on her wrist. His eyes followed the trail down their short skirts, to the thigh high stockings, ending at the tall heels they wore. Tifa's shirt was cut low, showing a generous amount of cleavage. Aeris' too was low cut, revealing much more cleavage than Cloud ever thought she would have. His eyes paused on the spectacle.

"Let her borrow one of my bras as well." Tifa grinned.

"W, what?" Cloud stammered. Aeris turned bright red.

"Don't stare!" Aeris yelled. She turned away from the man quickly, but as she twisted the short blue skirt she wore lifted slightly, showing off her panties. Cloud about had a heart attack.

"See, I told you the men would love it!" Tifa smirked. She turned away quickly heading for the closet where the jackets were kept. She opened the door quickly and reached for her coat. It was tangled with another and as she tugged on it the other fell to the floor. Without a thought she bent forward to pick it up off the ground.

"Tifa!" Aeris gasped. Tifa froze. She dropped the coat quickly and turned towards the other two in the room with her. Her hands tugged on the tan skirt at her hips. Her mouth gaped open as Cloud quickly turned to his dishes, his face redder than anything she'd ever seen before.

"Come on, Aeris! We should go!" Tifa laughed nervously as she tugged on the woman's arm.

"See you later, Cloud!" Aeris waved.

In a flash the two women were gone, out of the bar. Cloud stood still a moment before falling against the counter next to him. He let out his breath slowly and then breathed in again quickly. He pulled himself up and stared at the dishes in the sink. He could see his face in them, surprisingly he could see the shade of red that had overrun his features.

Aeris and Tifa made their way to the edge of the street. They waited for Vincent to return with the vehicle. Tifa felt herself blush again. She forgot that Vincent would see the two of them dressed like this. The thought made her curious.

"It's kinda cold out here." Aeris shivered, pulling the jacket closer to her body. The sky was a dark gray. No doubt rain would soon follow the chilly winds. "Maybe some pants would've been a better idea."

"Pants, aren't fun, Aeris." Tifa giggled. "Today were gonna have some fun."

"You're a heart breaker, aren't you?" Aeris sighed.

The car pulled up to the curb slowly. Vincent squint his eyes, trying to get a better look at the two women standing by the street.

'I didn't think there were any prostitutes in the area...' Vincent's eyes widened.

"Oh, damn..." He smirked. He parked the car and got out quickly. "I suppose you need this vehicle?"

"Yes sir!" Tifa smiled. She walked up to him, staring in his eyes as he dropped the keys into her hands.

"It's all yours, ladies." Vincent simply stated and walked past the two. The two women watched him open the door to the bar, walk in slowly, and shut the door quickly behind him.

"Well...that was no fun." Aeris put her hands on her hips. She couldn't help but be a little flustered at the lack of attention they just received. Tifa smiled.

"He loved it." She opened the driver side door. "Come on, Aeris! We've got lots of cash to spend!"

The two women sped off towards the center of the city. It had been years since Tifa had been able to spoil herself. Vincent watched through the window as the car disappeared in the distance. He made his way to the bar, shaking his head slowly.

"...Dangerous." Vincent muttered.

"No idea..." Cloud chuckled.

* * *

"Okay, okay...so let me get this straight! You were in the Lifestream watching all of us through this weird pool of water. And then you just decided you wanted to come back and it happened!?" Yuffie scratched her head. Thunder rolled in the distance.

"Sort of..." Aeris sighed. She lifted a glass of fruity alcohol to her lips.

"We're trying to figure out how she was able to come back." Cloud stated. He leaned against the bar.

"But what if that # psycho, comes back before we figure this all out?" Cid sputtered.

"We'll just have to keep an eye out." Tifa shrugged.

"Oh yeah! Keep an eye out. While were at it, why don't we just #& post some #damn posters that has a mug shot of the # saying, if you see this man call this number!" Cid slammed his tea onto the table.

"That actually might work." Yuffie lifted a finger.

"Maybe we should hide Aeris..." Vincent eyed the brown haired woman.

"Hide me?" Aeris tilted her head.

"In case Sephiroth does come back. No doubt you'll be the first on his list to visit." Vincent rested his chin on his hand. The sky roared in anger once again as the room brightened from a flash of lightning.

"_IF_ he comes back." Aeris corrected.

"It's very possible that the freak may be alive already." Barret's voice called from the stairway. "Kids are asleep." he quickly added.

"I don't want to think about that." Aeris shivered.

"Is there some way you could tell if he was back?" Cloud glanced at the Cetra.

"Well...I haven't tried. I haven't felt his presence, but then again, I've never been very good at detecting him. I can't really do it unless he's close. Zack usually is better at that kind of stuff." Aeris sighed. The sound of rain pelting heavily on the outside invaded the room.

"I'm glad you were the first one back and not him. You at least have us prepared...somewhat." Yuffie yawned.

"He could come back at anytime and anywhere, so that leaves us at a disadvantage." Reeve said.

"He could strike at anytime, whether it was hours, days, or years from now." Cait Sith added.

"You think he'd take the time to prepare for so long?" Barret questioned.

"Well last time he took five years to prepare." Cloud clenched his fists.

"I hope he doesn't take that long, I'm already falling to shit...damn joints." Cid grumbled.

"Have you got anything new, Red?" Tifa turned her attention to the animal in the corner of the room. He had his nose buried in a rather large book.

"Just a little. Grandpa's notes are a little hard to read at times." The animal padded across the room and sat next to Aeris. She scratched him behind the ear as he explained.

"It seems Aeris' theory about the Lifestream was correct. However, if she does die again, whether killed by the sword or by anyone on the planet, it will not have the same effect as before." Red leaned into Aeris' fingers.

"Not the same effect? You mean it won't work again?" Tifa asked.

"Correct. It seems there was something about the way Aeris died that made it possible for her to be revived. I'm just not sure what the reason is." Red shook his head. "But it seems that the fact she died and fell into the Lifestream is one of the main reasons she came back."

"I sank through the mud at the bottom and the Lifestream flowed beneath it..." Aeris thought loudly. "That's why I thought it would work, but I didn't think it had to do with anything else."

"Wait...Zack died in the Northern Crater. It's very possible that he had fallen into the Lifestream below as well." Cloud added. Thunder roared once again. The windows shook from the intensity.

"Do you think it had anything to do with me being an Ancient?" Aeris asked.

"That is very possible." Red nodded.

"But wasn't Zack turned into an Ancient cause of all them experiments?" Cid questioned. He leaned back in his chair, resting his boots on a nearby table.

"That's what he said. I believe it happened as well. He knew the Ancient language and he can talk to all the orbs within the Lifestream that were once Ancients as well." Aeris confirmed.

"But Sephiroth wasn't an Ancient! He was an alien!" Yuffie grinned. "So he can't come back! He's screwed!"

"It's not set in stone that it's only Ancients who can come back." Vincent stared at the young woman. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Besides if it was a capability of the Ancients, then why aren't there more Ancients who have revived themselves?" Cloud sighed.

"Maybe they didn't know about it."

"Maybe they didn't know how."

"Maybe it isn't because they are Ancients."

"Maybe it was just a freak accident..." everyone suggested.

"I'll have to read more into it, but so far all I've confirmed is that because Aeris had fallen into the Lifestream it made it possible for her body to regenerate itself. The stream is full of life after all, so it plays a big part, but it isn't the entire solution, there has to be another part to it. I'll get back to my book. While I do this, you try to devise a plan for in case Sephiroth does come back." Red XIII walked back to his book in the corner. He circled a few times before resting next to the item. Thunder crackled and the lights flickered.

"What a storm..." Tifa muttered. "Maybe I should get some flashlights and candles, just in case." She stood quickly.

A loud pounding came from the door. The group jumped. Tifa stared at the door. Everyone glanced at each other. Tifa felt a shiver run down her spine. It was already long past the time the bar was regularly supposed to be closed. It was impossible that anyone would be in the neighborhood for a drink at this time and during such a storm. Tifa looked over the group. Everyone was there who was supposed to be. She swallowed hard and slowly made her way to the door. The stories that had been passed around of Sephiroth all night had haunted her thoughts, and apparently everyone else's.

"Tifa..." Cloud whispered. He headed towards her.

"No...Cloud it's fine!" Tifa smiled. "We're all just scaring ourselves. I'm sure it's just someone who needs some shelter...or a drink." She turned back to the door. Loud pounding threatened the door's hinges. Tifa jumped at the sound. Slowly she lifted a hand to the knob. She turned it quickly and pulled the door open.

"Oh!" Tifa covered her mouth.

Standing outside the door was a tall man. He was drenched from head to toe. His long, black, hooded cloak covered his body and head. The only thing Tifa could make out were his brilliant, glowing eyes and the cocked grin on his face.

"It, it's you!" Tifa stepped away from the door.

"Did I miss the party?" His low voice called out into the silent room. He stepped into the room and glanced around at all the gaping faces. His gaze froze on Aeris. A frown crossed his features.

"Oh no!" Aeris stood from her chair. She knew she was in trouble now.

"Oh no?" The man chuckled. "What kind of greeting is that? I thought you'd be happy to see me!" The man shrugged. The man's eyes fell onto Cloud's matching gaze.

"Long time, no see... Cloud." The man grinned.

"How's it going..." Cloud smirked. "Zack?"

* * *

Well that's it for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it. YAY! Zack's finally back! Expect a lot more of you're fav guy in the future chapters! Well I've gotta go...marinate some chicken. I'll post soon! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello again! I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. Thanks to all of those who read and reviewed. I love hearing from you! Well, no news here. Enjoy this new chapter! -Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 6**

"How did you know?" Aeris asked. She held her hands behind her back.

"What do you mean how did I know? You were missing! People don't just disappear from the Lifestream." Zack scratched his chin. Beads of water dripped from his dark bangs and plopped onto the floor.

"No...that's not what I meant. How did you figure out how to come back?" Aeris shook her head.

"Oh. Well I simply used my brains!" the man grinned. The room was silent. He pulled the hood down from over his head.

"You figured it all out on your own?" Cloud raised an eyebrow. Zack was an excellent soldier, but sometimes he was lacking in the problem solving department.

"Yeah..." He laughed sheepishly.

"Bull!" Yuffie leaned back in her chair.

"Ugh...fine! I got some help from that little orb named Lila."

"Lila?" the others looked at each other.

"Lila was once an Ancient. She died a long time ago." Aeris explained. "She was a little girl. Likes to play games with us."

"Anyways, Lila must've seen me at the pool. I was real worried ya' know." Zack leaned on one of the nearby tables. "She danced around that pool and showed me the visions from when you left. I listened closely to you and the only thing I could catch was the word 'Lifestream'. So Lila and I started thinking, trying to figure out what that meant." Zack stared at the ceiling as he rambled.

"Lila beat me to it. She was playing back to me the memories from when Aeris and I had died. It showed us sinking into the Lifestream. I came to the conclusion that it had to have been because of the Lifestream that you were able to be revived. So I dove into that pool, held my breath and tried to do what I saw you do in the pool. Lila suggested that I think of the location I died and..." Zack slapped his hands together. "it was a miracle! I came sputtering and gagging from the awful green ooze within the Northern Crater. I was afraid I was gonna drown before I hit the surface."

"So you came from the Northern Crater?" Red interrupted. "Then it is now obvious that when a body is submerged into the Lifestream upon death, they are perfectly capable of regeneration."

"Yeah...regeneration..." Zack cocked an eyebrow. "Is that all there is to it? Cause if so...then why doesn't everyone whose died in the Lifestream come back?"

"We think there's more to it. Maybe the reason for the death, the situation upon which it happened." Tifa began.

"Maybe cause you're Ancients!" Yuffie added her piece.

"But I'm not necessarily a full-blooded Ancient." Zack rubbed the back of his head, messing up the spikes in the back.

"But maybe you're Ancient enough." Cid took a long drag on his cigarette.

"Right now, were not going to except that piece of information as fact. We still know too little to come to conclusions. Even though Sephiroth isn't an actual Ancient, he is still full of Jenova's cells. Because you've gone through, that's possibility enough that he may be able to come through as well, since the planet did not recognize the cells as an endangerment." Aeris walked towards the man. It felt like she hadn't seen him in years.

"Man...this is so weird." the dark haired man yawned.

"How'd you get here so damn quick?" Barret questioned.

"...I ran." he simply stated.

"You ran!?" Zack shivered under everyone's stare.

"I guess it didn't take long before Jenova's cells began to recuperate." Vincent mumbled. "Your eyes hold the same glow they did all those years ago."

"You can use my room to get some rest." Cloud patted Zack on the shoulder. "I bet you're still exhausted. Jenova's cells are a benefit but only to an extent. It allows you to overwork yourself for a few days but once you stop, you're in for a nasty shut down."

"Are you hungry!? Damn! I bet you haven't eaten yet!" Tifa scurried from her chair and rushed into the kitchen.

"No worries!" Zack held up his hand. "I just need some rest for now. I can eat in the morning."

"Um...ok." Tifa set down the pan she was gripping.

"I think we all could use a little rest." Aeris suggested. There were no complaints to that.

"But...before I get to bed I need to talk to you." Zack pointed a finger at the green eyed woman.

"Me?" She laughed nervously.

"You're not off the hook yet." Zack grinned at the groan Aeris gave. It was finally his turn to give her a lecture.

* * *

"I can't believe you just left." Zack whispered. The building was silent. Rain pelted softly against the window panes. It thumped on the roof overhead.

"I had no idea it would work, Zack." Aeris glanced out the window at the glowing moon.

"No idea! How could you have no idea it would work? You had figured something out, decided to give it a try without even mentioning a single thing to me." He sat on the couch in front of the large, flat TV. He glared at his reflection in the screen as lightning flashed.

"But I wanted to make sure it worked before I told you anything." the woman ignored the man's snort.

"And how did you plan on letting me know how it worked?" Zack eyed the woman suspiciously.

"Well...you missed that conversation." Aeris met the glowing stare momentarily. 'Thank god...'

"That conversation?" Zack stood up. "Aeris how did you plan on telling me it worked?"

"I...well you see...I was just thinking that since I had died and fallen into the Lifestream I would..." Aeris wrung her hands. She backed against the wall. Thunder grumbled outside.

"You were gonna have him kill you, weren't you?" Zack leaned forward. Aeris could feel his breath on her face.

"It was only a possibility."

"A possibility. What else would you have done?" He pressed his hand against the wall, supporting himself. Aeris was cornered.

"I hadn't thought of anything else."

"You were going to make Cloud kill you? And you had no clue what would have happened. You would have been killed and the possibility of you returning was on a 50/50 chance!"

"I thought it would work. I didn't want you to be upset. I needed to tell you before this happened!"

"Aeris you can't just ask him to do that! Jesus!" Zack spun around. His wet bangs fell into his eyes.

"I knew you'd be upset. I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have tried to run away." Aeris sniffled.

"Run away?" He turned to face her, his face held astonishment. "You did run away from me..."

"I was upset." the woman's lip quivered.

"Upset!? With what?" He stared at her. His eyes seemed more intense in the flashing light from the storm.

"You ignored me, constantly." She tore her gaze away from his. "All we ever did was fight. You would hide in your own little world, training..."

"Training for in case something like THIS happened!" Zack clenched his fist. "You don't understand!"

"What?" She glared at him. "You were the one who couldn't stand up to the fact that you were dead! You wished you were alive this entire time, showing off your skills because you felt bad! You're no better than Cloud!" She hissed.

"No better?" Zack pressed her against the wall again. "You never know what will happen. If you weren't so selfish, you would've understood that I was training even in death to keep you safe!"

"..." She stared at his magnificent blue eyes. They were so much more entrancing than his dull purple-gray after death.

"Look what's happened! We're alive again. And theres no guaranty that if we die, that we'd be able to come back again! We may never be able to go back to the Lifestream for all we know!" He slapped his hand against the wall. Aeris shivered. "Sephiroth may even be alive. He may even be near..." Zack got silent. His eyes fell to the floor as a grin crossed his face.

"...Zack?" Aeris swallowed hard. She felt a shiver run down her spine. She just realized something.

"He may even be here in the same building." His eyes slowly raised. "He may even be me."

Aeris felt her body freeze. It was certainly a possibility, she had no doubts about it. Sephiroth could've easily gotten hold of more materia. Confuse was one of his favorites. The woman pressed herself closer to the wall, her nails dug into the white painted surface. Her breathing had quickened. She had to run, she had to get out of here. The woman pushed herself from the wall and darted to the side to get away. Zack's arm snatched hers.

"AH!" She yelped as his hand quickly covered her mouth. She struggled, slapping at his arms and stomping her feet.

"Shhh." His hot breath crossed her ear. "Wouldn't want to wake anyone up, would we?" His voice sang. Tears stung Aeris' eyes.

"Where are you going? Who are you going to run to? Cloud?" his voice was the only sound in the entire building. "Who do you want to save you?" He let go of Aeris. She ran backwards and fell hard onto the couch. She looked around frantically.

"Z, Zack?" She whimpered. Zack stopped abruptly.

"Me?" He whispered.

"You?" Aeris tilted her head. She quint her eyes. "ZzzAAACK!" She leapt upwards.

"What!?" the man jumped out of the way as Aeris' hands reached for his neck. He held onto her, chuckling softly.

"You ass!" She slugged him in the arm.

"I was just messing with you!" He laughed.

"It's not funny! It was not funny at all!" She screeched, her hands pounding against his chest. Zack frowned.

"I didn't mean to make you so upset. I was just mentioning the fact that he could just as easily be here as me." He held onto her shoulders.

"You didn't have to keep playing along!" Aeris growled. Tears fell down her cheeks. She was still breathing hard.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. It's just...I haven't picked on you for a while." He smirked. He rested his thumbs on her cheeks, wiping her tears away.

"You can pick on me about everything else, but that." She grumbled.

"You hate me?" Zack looked down at her. His blue eyes were gentle. He rested his hands on her hips.

"Yes." She grumped. Her green orbs met his gaze. She stared at his dark, wet hair. It was wild and sticking in all directions. He did have a boyish charm. She felt butterflies in her stomach.

"Really?" His eyes bugged out. Aeris sighed. How could she hate him, especially when he looked at her like that?

"Maybe..." She lifted the corner of her lips. Zack raised his head slightly. He rubbed his chin as he thought. Aeris gaze went from his hand to the sharp line up the side of his jaw.

"I guess I'll just have to turn that maybe into a 'no'. I wouldn't make it if you really did hate me." the man brought his face down close to hers, his lips pressing against hers.

Aeris stood still a moment. She was so distracted by the way he looked she didn't hear the last thing he said. She brought her hands up, running them through his hair. He pulled her against him. His body was cold from his soaked clothing. He could catch a cold or worse, pneumonia. Aeris' hands instinctively fell to the hem of his shirt. She lifted it quickly. They parted only a moment as the wet cloth was pulled over his head. Zack helped her discard the garment without complaint. Her hands ran down his chest and softly over his stomach. She felt him shake under her touch. Slowly her fingers fell to the zipper on his pants. He involuntarily moaned into her lips. He lifted her slightly off the ground as he fell back onto the couch behind him. Aeris squealed softly as her chest plopped onto his.

"Already trying to get in my pants?" He whispered.

"Shut it!" Aeris hissed as she kissed him softly.

* * *

"So...where are we going?" Zack yawned.

"To the Northern Crater. Didn't you listen?" Yuffie answered.

"Yeah...but I just don't get why we're going there." Zack groaned. His head was pounding.

"We're going to see if there's anything in that area that can give us clues." Cloud rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah...I get all that...but I guess what I'm getting at is...why the hell I'm going back there. I already told ya guys, that there was nothing, absolutely nothing from what I could see that was out of the ordinary at the Northern Crater. I mean...I did just come from there after all." Zack sighed.

"Sounds like someones grumpy." Yuffie rolled her eyes.

"Probably din't get much sleep las' night." Barret added his part. Zack growled at the man. Cloud rested his forehead in his hand.

"Less than what you got, that's for sure." Zack muttered under his breath.

"W, what da hell did ya' jes' say!?" Barret held onto the top of his robotic arm as if preparing to fire at any minute.

"Nothin'..." Zack rolled his eyes.

"Stop." Vincent's cool voice interrupted the bickering men.

"Yeah, right...nuthin'..." Barret leaned on the bar in front of him. He tilted his head towards the pilot. "What da hell you laughin' at!?"

"Ah, not a damn thang!" Cid chuckled. "But really...I do wonder, Barret. When was the last time?"

"Shut yer damn mouth!" Barret growled.

"Boys! Knock it off!" Tifa hollered. She looked over her shoulder at Aeris. "Like old times, huh?"

"The things I missed most." Aeris giggled.

"_Everyone get yer asses in gear! We'll be landing in a few!_" Cid called out on the intercom.

"I think...I'm gonna blow!" Yuffie covered her mouth. She squeezed the cat in her arms.

"Ai! Lassie, don't you dare blow chunks on me!" Cait Sith scrambled from her arms.

"We really have got to think of a way to keep you from getting sick." Red XIII scooted away from the woman.

"Eh?" Cid looked behind him. "Get yer sick ass out of the cabin if yer plannin' on sharin' your breakfast with all of us!"

"She still gets air sick?" Aeris played with the black ribbon around her neck. Her fingers ran over her collar bone. She was wearing a pink long sleeved shirt that rested on her shoulders. Her pants were a dark brown and the shoes she wore were comfortable. She bought it the other day with Tifa.

'You have great shoulders! You should show them off, especially your collar bone as well! It'll drive the boys wild.' Tifa's advice ran through Aeris' mind. One of the things Aeris didn't know was that Tifa chose these comfortable clothes, not just for looks but they'd also be reliable during battle. Her pants had many pockets, enough to carry multiple potions and materia.

"So...what happens if we run into any monsters?" Aeris leaned against the wall. She felt like someone was staring at her.

"We kill 'em." Barret muttered.

"Oh...but..." Aeris turned her head. Zack was gaping at her behind. Aeris turned quickly, her hands resting behind her. "I don't have my weapon." She eyed the grinning man.

"Oh! I forgot!" Tifa grabbed the woman's hand. "We've got it! Cid has it hanging on the wall in the weapon room."

"Really!? I can't believe you guys kept it." Aeris smiled.

"First of all, Cloud wouldn't dare leave it behind. And Secondly, Cid had known you always loved his ship and hung it here so you could always share a part of the sky with him." Tifa laughed.

"Cid? Really? I can't believe that." Aeris shook her head.

"Aww...Cid's not that bad. He does have a kind heart." Tifa opened the door to the weapon room.

"_Alright ya pains in the asses! We're approaching the damn crater! Hold on tight, cause if ya' fall offa my plane, I ain't comin' back to pick yer sorry ass up_!" Cid's voice echoed within the plane's walls.

"When he wants to show it..." Tifa shook her head.

* * *

The group ventured out into the cold winds of the Northern Crater. They shivered simultaneously. Cloud made his way to the edge of the cliff. A few snowflakes pelted his face.

" damn, it's cold!" Yuffie sputtered.

"Should've worn something a little more appropriate for the weather." Vincent lectured. Everyone eyed the girl's poor choice in clothing. A pair of tan shorts, a green long sleeved shirt, and her boots. The tails of her headband flowed wildly behind her.

"Shut it, Vinnie! If I would have known we'd be coming here, I wouldn't have come at all!" Yuffie growled in frustration.

"Aw...that woulda been just too bad." Cid spat sarcastically.

"Hey Cid!" Yuffie called the smoker's attention.

"What, brat?" Cid looked over his shoulder. His teeth clenched over his cigarette as he stared at the one fingered salute the young woman gave him. Barret laughed at the spectacle. "Damn ." Cid folded his arms.

"Aw yes...the things I miss most." Aeris chimed in.

"Can we stop with the feuding? We do have something important to accomplish." Vincent started. With that the man leapt over the edge of the cliff. He slid down the rocks. In seconds he was out of sight.

" damn it! I hate it when he does that shit!" Cid muttered.

Vincent held his claw out, balancing himself. Sand and rock flew down after him as he seemed to surf down the side of the crater. Dust hid his location. He jumped over a nearing boulder as he withdrew his weapon, preparing for the worst case scenario.

"Well... this is what I live for." Zack nodded his head to Cloud.

The two men leapt after the clawed man. Their black boots dug deep into the surface. They slid down, rapidly gaining speed on the almost vertical side.

"I suppose we should follow." Tifa muttered. Aeris swallowed hard. She felt Tifa grab her hand. "Here we go-o-o-o-o-o!" Her voice echoed over the canyon.

The group dodged each other's dust and debris. If any of the men in the lead messed up, they could take down the entire group.

"I'm too old for this shit!" Barret blasted a boulder in his line of sight.

"Hey watch it! Ya almost shot me!" came Cid's angry voice.

"Damn, I missed!?" Barret cursed.

"Damn right ya missed... You'd be walking yer ass home if you had!" Cid sputtered.

"...Yeah..." Barret chuckled.

The group descended another minute before they ran into trouble. Vincent cursed as the ground below began to open up. He had forgotten that the battle that took place many years ago had weaken the surface around the crater. The damage sustained then had only worsened over time. The rocks and walls had eroded drastically since the last time the group had been at the crater.

"Watch out!" Vincent called over his shoulder.

"FOR WHAT!?" Zack shouted.

"Damn!" Cloud's eyes widened. "JUMP!!" He called out.

"Jump?" Zack saw the opening ground. There was no way to stop in time. Everyone was going to fall in. "PREPARE YOURSELVES! WE'ER GONNA FREE FALL!"

"Free fall!?" Tifa held onto Aeris' hand tighter.

"Oh no!" Aeris squeezed back.

"Those damn boys! They should've waited for us!" Yuffie growled. "Leave us girls back here to fall on our asses!" She snatched up Tifa's other hand.

"They're gonna get a lecture for this one!" Tifa grit her teeth.

"Oh stop your complaining!" Cait Sith started. He bounced on the back of Red.

"Like you care, Cait! If you don't make it safely you can easily be replaced!" Yuffie snapped.

"I...realize that." Cait Sith held onto Red's mane.

"We should've scanned the area better before diving in." Red added.

"It's all Vincent's damn fault!" Yuffie watched as the hole below got wider.

'Damn it...I was irresponsible.' Vincent clenched his teeth. He prepared for the drop. As he fell through the crust he shoved his clawed arm out in hopes of snagging a ledge, hole, sturdy rock, anything. Sparks flew as he dug into the rock. He stopped abruptly, grabbing onto a depression in the surface. He pulled himself up, listening to the yells of the others as they fell through the massive hole. He leaned forward on his knees in hopes of getting the other's attention.

"Cloud! Zack!" Vincent shouted to the screaming men.

"AHHH!!" Zack reached out around him.

"Zack!" Cloud grabbed the man's arm.

"AHH- What!?" Zack looked down to see Vincent reaching out.

"Hold on!" Cloud shouted as he grabbed a hold of Vincent's hand. The three men groaned as they struggled to save themselves.

'Got to hurry, everyone else won't make it.' Vincent growled. He pulled with all his might, lifting Cloud above the ledge. The blond lifted as well, as Zack pushed off the side with his feet. The two fell onto the small ledge.

"Ya think this will hold us?" Zack groaned as he picked himself up off of Cloud.

"Doubtful..." Vincent mumbled. He watched as Cid and Barret fell on the opposite side of them.

"&!" Cid shoved the blade of his spear into the rock, slowing him down.

"Watch out, foo!" Barret shouted from above.

"Here! Grab my hand!" Cid thrust his gloved hand out for the man to grab hold of. Barret quickly complied. The added weight thrust the spear from the wall. The two men spouted a battle of curses as Cid began to stab the wall furiously. The spear caught hold again, slowing the two. A loud 'crack' sounded as the weapon gave in. Barret watched below for a safe ledge.

"Found one! 'bout twenty feet down, five feet over!" The large man pointed.

"Ok! When I say jump!" Cid pressed his feet against the wall. Barret followed his actions. Cid pulled out the spear as the two men jumped from their location. They fell heavily onto the small rock ledge. They sat momentarily, catching their breath. Barret lunged forward, staring upwards, trying to catch glimpse of the others.

Red jumped skillfully from rock to rock all the way down. His animal instincts were much more advanced than the other's skills. He landed softly onto the ledge next to Barret. Red glanced upwards.

"The girls are coming!" Red snarled. His fur puffed out.

"They better make it through this!" Barret held out his hand. He saw the three men on the other side do the same.

"They're falling through on Vincent's side!" Cid pointed as the shrill scream of the three women sounded in the deep crater.

"VINCENT!" Barret shouted.

Vincent, Zack, and Cloud all had their hands out, yelling for the girl's attention. They fell hand in hand. Tifa in the center, Aeris to the left and Yuffie on the right. It was going to be a difficult catch with all the added weight and with the speed they were approaching. The three women fell, they were too far out.

"They aren't gonna make it!" Zack flew forward. "Grab me!"

Cloud and Vincent fell to the side, holding onto Zack's ankles. The ex-SOLDIER reached out as he fell forward. The girls on the end, Yuffie and Aeris reached out with their free hands as Tifa hung on for her life. Zack groaned. He prayed that the girls could keep hold of Tifa. The tug was going to be hard on everyone. He also prayed that Vincent and Cloud could take all the weight.

'Damn it!' he squeezed their hands. Yuffie and Aeris held on tight. All was going well so far. And then came the tug. Yuffie and Aeris' bodies came to an abrupt halt. A second later Tifa did too. The jolt tugged on the women's arms. Tifa's hands slipped from Aeris.

"TIFA!" Aeris shrieked.

Tifa fell in slow motion from Aeris hands. Yuffie screamed, Tifa's body tugged on her arm. Her hand slipped from the other woman's. Everyone, all at once, felt their heart skip a beat.

"No!" Zack shouted.

"TIFA!" Cloud watched the spectacle.

"PULL!" Vincent yelled, snapping Cloud out of his shock.

The two men pulled on Zack's legs. He was pulled upwards unto the rock, the dirt and pebbles scraped against his clothes, lifting his shirt. He felt the hard surface scrape his skin. All pain was ignored, however, his thoughts were on the girl's safety. At once Cloud reached down and grabbed Aeris' wrist, allowing Zack to securely grab Yuffie's. Vincent didn't wait a single moment. He leapt over the side. He soared downwards towards the falling woman.

'This is my fault. This is my fault!' Vincent growled. He felt a bubbling from within. He feared he wouldn't make it in time. 'No I can't...I can't allow it...' Vincent fought with himself.

'I have to find a way to the side! I have to!' Tifa waved her arms, panicking.

"Tifa!" A voice sounded from above her. It was Vincent and he was falling towards her.

"Vincent!!" Tifa yelped. She could see the jagged rocks inside the Lifestream approaching.

'Maybe if I die...I can come back.' Tifa choked on that thought. 'Don't want to bet on it.'

Vincent fell head first towards the woman. He reached for a protruding rock on the side of the wall. His hand quickly gripped it and he pushed off with all his might. Energy burst from his hand as a monstrous strength exploded. Vincent gasped for air as he fought to suppress the demon inside.

"Grab my hand!" Vincent reached out for the woman as he tore down for her.

Tifa followed orders, reaching up without looking. Their fingers touched. Vincent wriggled his fingers downward until they reached her wrist. In a flash he tugged her upwards, pulling her against him as he flipped in the air. He turned his body to face the wall as his claw dug into the side. He felt the metal heat up from the friction. Repairs would no doubt be needed after this fiasco.

"We're not gonna make it!" Tifa held tightly onto the man, shielding her eyes.

"We're gonna make it!" Vincent howled. He pushed his clawed fingers into the surface and shoved his fist into the wall. The two abruptly came to a halt. Vincent felt the metal in his arm bend. He clenched his teeth.

"Vincent?" Tifa opened her eyes. She stared at the dust and sparks flying from the wall. She looked down to see her feet inches from the rocks and gushing Lifestream below. Her gaze met his. "I'm sorry Vincent. I shouldn't have lost my grip. I should have held on tighter. Look at your hand!"

"Don't touch!" Vincent gasped. "It's alright. I can fix it. Besides this whole mess was my fault. I should've surveyed the area more before jumping down here."

"It's alright...you just found us a shortcut." Tifa laughed nervously.

"One hell of a shortcut." Vincent hissed as he pulled his hand from the wall. They lifted their heads, looking for their comrades. Cheering and yelling could be heard.

"Now...how are the others going to get down?" Tifa asked.

"They can do it themselves. I'm through." Vincent sighed.

* * *

Sorry got to end here. It took longer than expected today. I had a sort of writers block I suppose. I had originally planned on making it a lot longer of a chapter. Oh well I'll just have to update soon! Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think! -annubis


	7. Chapter 7

So sorry about the delay! I've been sick for over a week and real busy. Finally got the freedom to sit at my computer and write this chapter! Hang in there! Hope you all enjoy this next one, thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis123

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"How?" Sephiroth chuckled in the darkness around him. "How did _they _do it? How!? Who knows? How the hell did anyone figure it out? How the hell did she figure it out!?"

The silver haired man rocked back and forth. He laughed gleefully as he eyed the green orbs around him. He raised a finger into the air. All orbs in the area flooded away, except one. Sephiroth went silent.

"Oh? And what's wrong with you?" he poked the orb. A small noise emitted from it. "You're sad? And why is that?"

The man stood slowly. His ears twitched at the sounds the orb made. He noticed one word it spoke of.

"Zack? You miss Zack?" Sephiroth chuckled. "Were you one of his playmates?" The orb wiggled, squealing with delight.

"Well, maybe you can tell me where he is, and I can bring him back to you." Sephiroth offered. "That's what you want isn't it? You want your friend back?"

The orb swirled around the man's hand. It snuggled between his fingers.

"Show me, tell me and I'll get you your friend. I'll send him back here for you. Okay?" Sephiroth walked through the darkness, the orb glowing in his hand. "I promise."

The orb shot through the darkness with intense speed. Sephiroth followed closely behind. A smirk crossed his features as he developed his plan. He never did like children, but they could be so useful at times.

'Stealing, cheating, bribery, hostage, lying...' Sephiroth chuckled. Yes, kids were very useful.

* * *

Zack stared at the flowing green fluid beneath his feet. Small ripples of Lifestream lapped over the side of the rock surface. The green light reflected within the man's eyes.

"Does anything look different now than when you came out?" Red XIII stuck a paw in the stream.

"You mean besides the damage cause by Vincent? No." Zack folded his arms.

"I figured as much." Red shook his head. "Maybe we came to the wrong place."

"Why did we come here?" the ex-SOLDIER sighed.

"To try an' kill ourselves..." Yuffie muttered under her breath.

"We were hoping to find some clues. This is one of the largest areas on the planet that contains this much Lifestream." Aeris ran her fingers through Red's mane.

"It just looks like green water to me." Cid spat.

"Is there anything unusual about it Aeris?" Tifa asked.

"I'm not sure. I mean, everything looks fine. Its still a bright color, it flows fine...I don't hear any unusual voices and I can't really detect any pain from the planet." the Ancient rested on a nearby boulder. She rubbed her wrists. The rescue earlier sure had done a number on them.

"Damn. You mean we came all the way here for nuthin'?" Barret kicked a rock into the stream.

"It was just a precaution. You never know. There could have been serious distress signs, or maybe signs of other beings who have been revived." Cait Sith said.

"Other beings? But who else would there have been?" Tifa cocked her head to the side.

"Sephiroth?" Yuffie suggested.

"No..." Vincent murmured.

"He didn't die here." Cloud stepped forward. His mako eyes gleamed in the light. "He died in the City of the Ancients."

"So why are we here and not there?" Zack questioned.

"Clones." Vincent turned his head.

"Clones? Why would they need to come back?" Tifa turned to the man.

"We could ask." Vincent pointed a finger towards the opposite side of the pool.

Across the way was a figure in a dark, wet cloak. It clung to his frail frame. The group quickly made their way to the other side. Cloud skidded to a halt, dust kicked up. He watched the clone shiver like a dead leaf clinging by it's final fiber onto a branch. A sickly hand reached up towards the man.

"Ugh!" Cloud stepped back. He watched as its spidery fingers wiggled.

"What's it doin'?" Zack leaned forward, wrinkling his nose. He jolted back as the clone's hand reached toward his face.

"Zzzzz--ACK!" It screeched. The clone's body convulsed and dropped to the floor.

"It's...dieing." Aeris whispered. She fell to her knees, her hand instinctively went to her hair. "Oh! My materia! I...I don't have it..."

"Maybe we can cure it." Tifa reached into one of her pockets, searching for a Cure materia.

"Why are we gonna cure it? It's evil!" Yuffie shivered.

"Not all things created by Hojo are evil." Vincent murmured. He stepped forward handing a green orb to Tifa. Yuffie swallowed hard.

"Why'd that thing say my name?" Zack stared into it's green eyes.

"Another mystery to add to the list." Cloud shook his head. "Damn Hojo..."

"It's not working!" Tifa tried another spell.

"Whad'ya mean it's not workin'?" Barret walked to Tifa and reached for the orb in her hand.

"It's just not. It's like the magic isn't helping it."

"Maybe its too far gone. Maybe its already dead." Cid stomped on his cigarette. He reached in his pocket for another but hesitated.

"I thought Shera told you to quit that?" Yuffie raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah. Last pack." Cid grumbled. His hand dropped to his side.

"No, he's still breathing." Aeris had lowered her face next to the clone's.

"Ugh...don't get too close to that thing." Zack reached forward. It was too late, the clone had snagged Aeris' wrist.

"Hey!" Cloud drew his sword.

"Wait! No!" Aeris threw her free hand into the air. She frowned.

"ZzzAck." The clone shivered. "Reun...ion..."

"Reunion?" Aeris leaned forward again. "Who's reunion? Zack's?"

"Sss...S,Seph..." The clone took in a ragged breath. "iroth..."

"Sephiroth!?" Aeris sat on her knees. Slowly the clone raised itself from the ground. It's hands clung onto Aeris'. As he raised, his hood fell from his head revealing wet silver hair the length of the clone's shoulders. Aeris felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Bro, brother..." The clone glanced at Cloud. His pale face revealed sunken features. His eyes were wide and a relaxed smile crossed his face.

Cloud shivered slightly. "...Kadaj?"

"What's happened to you?" Aeris wrapped her arms around the man. "How did you get here?"

"Aeris." Zack kneeled down next to the woman. He didn't like the idea of her being so close to a clone who was proven to be a hassle in the past. He looked at the clone named Kadaj.

"Mother?" the clone smiled. His eyes rolled back in his head. Aeris felt his body go limp.

"No! Kadaj!" Aeris held onto the man, trying to give him warmth. "What do we do!?"

"We leave him...he's dieing." Vincent turned away and started heading down the path.

"Vincent. We can't leave him here." Tifa stepped forward.

"He's trouble. As soon as he gets his strength, he'll just try to kill us." his cold red eyes glared at the body in Aeris' arms. "That is if he's even still alive."

"But..." Tifa held a hand to her mouth. She knew it was probably true. Kadaj and his brothers were nothing more than tools manipulated by Jenova. Still, she felt she should do something to help.

"No buts about it...we can't help him." Cloud shook his head. His expression was unreadable as he stared at the silver haired man.

"Cloud." Tifa turned away.

"Hey, we aren't just gonna let him die...are we?" Yuffie bit her lower lip.

"Why not? You're the one who said he was evil." Vincent turned to the young woman.

"I say we leave 'em." Cid rubbed his temples.

"A'men." Barret nodded.

"Kadaj..." Aeris stared at the man's hands. They still held onto hers.

"But we could use the information. If he knows anything at all, about Sephiroth, Jenova, the other clones, Hojo, Lifestream, Meteor, resurrections..." Red XII sat next to Aeris. He eyed the man in her arms. "He'd be a very useful resource."

"We'd have to keep him in a secure area, lock him up so he can't cause any trouble." Cait Sith added.

"..." Cloud was silent. He looked back and forth between Vincent's red glare and the young man in Aeris' arms.

"He's not that bad of a guy." Zack chimed in.

"What?" Cid pushed away from the wall he was against.

"Really. Kinda like a kid." Zack smirked. He turned to Cloud. "When he was without the influence of Jenova, he was like a kid. Didn't know what to do, didn't know his purpose, didn't know a thing about himself."

"Ya sure it wasn't some game he played? Maybe he and Sephiroth have been planning this all along." Barret aimed his arm at the clone. He prepared to engage it, to shoot the man. "I say we dispose of him right here an' right now."

"Don't!" Tifa pushed the man's arm down.

"Damnit, Tifa!" Barret folded his arms.

"Besides...he thinks Aeris is his mother." Zack raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I think as long as she's around, he'll be harmless."

"..." Cloud stared at Zack. He didn't know what to do. It would be of great help to keep him alive, but it may be just as helpful to let him die.

"Come on. We'll keep a watchful eye on him. If he acts up once, we'll take care of it, alright?" the dark haired man offered to Cloud. "Now don't get me wrong. I saw what he did, he's one crazy bastard, but I also don't like to kill something without a reason, you know?"

"..." Cloud nodded slowly.

"So what're we doin' then?" Cid grumbled.

"Vincent, you said it yourself. Not all things created by Hojo are evil." the blond finally spoke up.

"You got me." Vincent sighed. He looked at Kadaj and then at Cloud. "I'm not babysitting..." With a turn the dark man strode away from the group. Aeris lifted her head.

"You think he's mad?" Yuffie twirled her hair.

"He'll get over it." Tifa sighed. She turned to Aeris. "Is he ok?"

"I, I think so." Aeris sniffled. "His breathing is very slow and weak."

"Come on, lets get outta here." Zack grabbed a hold of the silver haired man. He hoisted Kadaj and rested him over his shoulder.

"You think you can handle that all the way back up?" Cloud asked.

"Heh. Cloud, I dragged your saggy ass across a continent, I think I can handle this just fine." Zack chuckled.

"Good one..." the corners of the blond's mouth turned downward. He turned and walked away from his friend.

"What was that look for!? Aw, ya know I was just kiddin' with you!" Zack laughed. Cloud quickened his pace. "Hey!"

"So where are we going now?" Yuffie rubbed her arms.

"I think we should head to Nibelheim." Red suggested.

"To the mansion?"

"That's right."

"Maybe Hojo has some records about the behaviors of the clones." Aeris walked along side of the two.

"Do you think he knows anything about possible resurrections?" Tifa overheard the conversation. She felt the chill of the air hit her face as they neared the top of the crater. Her fingers lifted the collar of her thick coat.

"He's gotta. How'd he come back if he didn't?" Yuffie's teeth chattered. She felt something fall over her shoulders. She eyed the dark coat that Vincent had placed on her back. It was long and dragged a little on the ground.

"That's something I would like to find out as well." the man with the claw murmured.

"I'm surprised you haven't gone through the files yet." Tifa stared at the coat on Yuffie's shoulders.

"Never thought about it." the man turned his gaze to meet Tifa's. "Had other worries."

"I see." the woman stared at the toes of her boots. An awkward silence followed.

"Can we get something to eat before we go there? I'm starving." Yuffie pulled the coat around her tightly. She felt the fabric brush against her cheek. She blushed slightly as Vincent's scent invaded her senses. It was something she never smelled before. It smelled like the plains, but had a hint of a campfire. Beneath all of that was a sweet smell, did he were cologne?

"I agree." Aeris giggled.

"Alright, I guess it's dinner and then Shinra mansion." Tifa shrugged her shoulders.

* * *

Aeris sat on the edge of the bed. Her hands felt for a pulse on the cold neck before her. She swallowed hard. Was there any way to keep him alive? Was he going to die? The thought made the woman sick. Her eyes drug over the clone's form.

Underneath the wet cloak was Kadaj's leather uniform. It clung to his body like a second skin. His silver hair scattered across the pillow beneath him. His eyes were lightly shut, the appearance of death overtook him. Aeris felt as if she were staring at a ghost. None of this made since. Why had he come back? Out of all people it had to be Kadaj. Was it because everyone was coming back, or is it possible that he's a vessel for Sephiroth. The thought shocked her.

'Could this be part of Sephiroth's plan?' A knock on the door jolted her.

"Hey, you hungry?" the door opened.

"Um...yeah a little." Aeris nodded her head.

"He's not giving you any trouble is he?"

"Zack, he hasn't even woken up yet."

"Jes' makin' sure." Zack eyed the man on the bed. "Just makes me a little nervous."

"I know. I think its making everyone a little nervous." the woman rested her chin in her hand.

"The plane will be landing soon. We're going to get some dinner outside of Nibelheim and then head to the mansion." he ran a hand over his stomach. "Wonder what Cloud will think?"

"About what?" she eyed the man, giving him a curious look.

"I don't know. You think he really wants to go back there? I mean think about the last time he was there...and the time before that." Zack rubbed the back of his head. "It wasn't much of a 'Welcome Home' party. And...do you really want to go back?"

"Zack, I'll be fine. What happened last time was...it doesn't matter what happened last time. It's not gonna happen again." Aeris stood from the bed.

"Damn right it won't happen again." Zack clenched his fists. He turned towards the door.

He hated the thought, but he couldn't let it leave his mind. The possibility of Sephiroth coming back was very likely, and when that happened there was no doubt in his mind that something like that would happen again. He hated the fact that he slept through the whole thing, that he didn't know, that she couldn't even tell him about it. Sephiroth had touched her and the thought still made him sick. He could kill the man a million times over and still not be satisfied.

"Lets not talk about that." Aeris placed a hand on his shoulder.

_"Attention! We'll be landin' soon, everyone get to the cabin er I'm eatin' yer share of dinner!"_ Cid's voice called from the intercom system.

"Better hurry, I wouldn't doubt his words." Aeris giggled. She grabbed a hold of Zack's hand, pulling him out of the room and up the stairs.

'Food's the last thing on my mind. The first thing is Sephiroth, the second is Kadaj...' Zack put on a fake smile as they headed up the stairs. For some reason, he wasn't feeling like his cheery self.

* * *

"Mother?" Kadaj's voice echoed in the darkness. "Mother, where are you!?" He frantically darted from endless corner to endless corner of the dark depths.

"Mother!" He fell to his knees, shivering. Why was it so cold? His head lifted towards the black sky. He heard a whisper.

'What's that?' Kadaj slowly got to his feet. 'Where is...'

"Loz! Yazoo!" Kadaj was scared, he didn't know what to do. "Br, brother?"

_"Where are you going?" _A voice called out. Kadaj spun around.

"No! I'm looking for mother! Go away!" He waved an arm in front of him.

_"Mother? And where do you think she'd be?"_ the voice called out again. Where was it coming from?

"She's somewhere. Up there!" Kadaj pointed to the sky.

_"But aren't you up there?" _

"I...I don't know!" Kadaj ran through the shadows.

_"You want to play a game?" _

"NO! I want mother!"

_"Mother's dead."_

"No! No she isn't! She saved me! She helped me..." Kadaj whimpered.

_"I tell you what...you find mother and I'll give you power." _

"I don't want your power! I don't need your power!" Kadaj felt himself fall. He hit his knees hard, he cried out.

_"Look at you. You're so weak. How do you expect to save mother when you can't even save yourself?"_

"Just leave me alone. Mother warned me about you!" Kadaj spat to the darkness.

_"Oh she did, did she?"_ the voice chuckled._ "And what does she have against me?"_

"She says, you're a poison." Kadaj explained. "You're soulless, you have no heart, you don't love, you want to kill everyone and everything for your own benefit, not for her. You, you're a traitor!" There was silence for a moment.

_"...Me? A traitor? As far as I'm concerned...You are the traitor!"_ The voice grew louder.

Kadaj stumbled backwards. There was nowhere to run to. Footsteps sounded from all around. A shadow came from the darkness, how Kadaj could see it in the midst of all the others, he didn't know. He turned to run, but there before him was the same shadow. Wherever he turned, the world turned with him. It came towards him. Kadaj ran backwards. The shadow neared him, despite his desperate actions.

"No! Stay away from me!" He fell, the darkness spun, the shadow remained in the center of his vision. He landed on his back. As he lay there the shadow neared, it had wings, wings from it's shoulder. It flew towards him at an incredible speed. Kadaj sat upwards, scooting away. His eyes widened as it reached out for him and suddenly disappeared.

'Where...where is it?' Kadaj shuddered. He emitted a scream as he felt a hand pull on his shoulder.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Cid turned his head towards his ship.

"Sounded like someone screaming..." Barret squint his eyes.

"Who the hell is screaming in my plane!?" the smoker's mouth dropped open as he saw the dreadful look on Barret's face.

"Hey you guys!" the gunman alerted his companions.

The group was inside a small cafe. Barret had stepped outside with Cid while he had a smoke break. Barret tapped on the window while Cid waved his arms toward the ship.

"What the hell are those two doing?" Yuffie held onto Cait Sith, he glanced at the menu hanging on the wall behind the counter.

"Huh?" Tifa turned her head. "Oh! Cloud!" the woman grabbed the man's shoulder and spun him around.

"Wha-?" He darted to a run, dropping his change to the floor.

"We've got to go!" Aeris grabbed Zack's arm.

"Hey! But-" He turned to the woman by the register.

"We'll be right back!" Aeris called out to the employee.

The group darted outside, following a frantic Cid and Barret towards the airship.

"Wait! But..." Zack ran into a sprint.

'What about the chicken!?' he frowned.

Cid burst through the door and ran to the security panel. The others scattered throughout the plane. Aeris and Zack made their way to the bedroom Kadaj was left to rest in.

"Kadaj!?" Aeris burst through the door. She was pulled back as an object flew past her head.

"Careful!" Zack pulled her out of the room. "Stay out here." He looked at the object on the floor. It was a book, _'Aerodynamics and Combustion'._

'The hell?' he looked back inside the room.

Kadaj was in the center of the room, stumbling and muttering to himself. He was breathing heavily.

"Hey man...cool it." Zack stepped into the room.

"Stay away from me!" Kadaj's hands balled into fists.

"No one's going to hurt you. You're safe." Zack held a hand out in front of him as he lay his sword gently onto the floor. Kadaj stared at the weapon.

'He's crazy...' Zack stared the man down.

"What's going on?" A voice called from the doorway. Kadaj's attention turned to the intruder.

"Brother?" He stumbled and leaned against the desk in the corner of the room.

"Are you the one who screamed?" Cloud walked into the room. Kadaj stepped back a step.

"Are...you gonna kill me?" Kadaj pressed against the wall. His head stared at the lights on the ceiling.

"...No." Cloud muttered.

"Depends." Zack spoke up. Cloud eyed the man.

"Zack!" Aeris walked into the room.

"Wh, who are you?" Kadaj squinted. Aeris approached the man slowly.

"We found you in the Northern Crater. Can you tell us how you got there?" Aeris ignored his question.

"I...I don't remember." Kadaj relaxed when she stood in front of him. She smelled like flowers. A small smile crossed his face. "I was looking for mother." His green eyes met hers.

"Did you find her?" Aeris leaned forward, widening her eyes.

"You're eyes are like mine..." Kadaj's mouth gaped. Cloud and Zack looked at each other. Neither one of them enjoyed Aeris being so close to the man.

"You're right. They are very similar." She giggled, lifting a hand to her lips. The golden bracelets on her wrist clinked together. Kadaj stared at the shiny jewelry. His eyes widened and he lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"M, mother?" He asked.

"Thats right." Aeris smiled.

"Mother!?" He gave an unsure smile. The two other men raised their eyebrows. "Mother!" Kadaj grabbed hold of the woman's shoulders and pulled her to him. "I found you!"

"That's...right..." Aeris giggled nervously. He had the strong scent of mako.

"I thought you were dead."

"I was, but I had to come back... to fix some things."

"Fix?" Kadaj released her. Aeris took a deep breath.

"I'll explain later." she grinned. "Right now we have some things to take care of. Do you think you'll be alright if we left you alone for a while?"

"Aeris, I don't think-" Zack started.

"But he'll get me." Kadaj stuttered.

"He?" Cloud spoke up.

"That monster..." Kadaj shook his head. "The one you warned me about. The one who took advantage of me..."

"Sephiroth." Cloud approached the man.

"Y, yeah." Kadaj nodded his head quickly. "I screamed because he was trying to get me."

"He was here?" Zack picked up his sword.

"I don't know. I'm not sure." Kadaj's hands shook.

"Or was it a dream?" Aeris suggested. The three men turned their heads towards her.

"A dream?" Kadaj murmured. "Yes. It must have been a dream."

"Are you positive?" Cloud questioned.

"You're sure he wasn't really here? Sure he wasn't using some type of materia on you?" Zack's grip tightened on his blade.

"I don't know." Kadaj felt weak. He never felt so weak in his entire life, though it was a short one.

"Let's just leave him alone for a while. He needs to rest. We'll get him some food, let him sleep and later I'll ask him questions." Aeris guided the silver haired man to the bed.

'Maybe...Sephiroth is trying to use Kadaj. Maybe he's inside Kadaj. But is it possible? Is it possible for him to come back that way? Isn't Jenova dead, completely gone?' Aeris stared at the wall.

"Hey." Zack's hand rested on the woman's shoulder. He gave her a weird look. "Let's go."

"Yeah." she nodded and headed for the door. Zack raised an eyebrow at Cloud and glanced back at Aeris. Cloud nodded. The two left the room while Cloud stayed behind.

"Why are you back?" Cloud asked.

"To protect mother, like she did for me." Kadaj answered innocently.

"She's your mother, right?" Cloud asked.

"Yes...That's mother. She took care of me after you..." Kadaj swallowed hard.

"It was Sephiroth who got you killed." Cloud said quickly as he turned to walk away.

"That's what mother said." Kadaj's words made Cloud pause.

"She did?"

"Yeah. She said you saved the planet and took care of her. Said that Sephiroth was the one who had killed her. He was using all of us for his own selfish plan." the young man explained.

"I see..." Cloud nodded.

'Why does she always stick up for me?' the blond made his way to the door.

"Mother said she protects you...so I guess my job is to protect you too..."

"You'll never hurt her?" Cloud gave the man a cold stare.

"No...why would you ask that?" Kadaj questioned. "She's...mother. You can't kill her. I can't kill her. She's in all of us."

"All of us?"

"The...clones." Kadaj whispered.

"But..." Cloud walked out the door. "Get some rest. We'll send mother in later to talk with you." He shut the door behind him.

'I'm not a clone...' Cloud ascended the stairs slowly to the upper level of the ship.

* * *

"He said he wouldn't hurt her?" Vincent asked.

"That's what he said. He said he couldn't. Almost like it was impossible to." Cloud shook his head. "I don't know what he meant."

"We'll still have to keep a watchful eye on him." Vincent pulled out his gun. He slapped a magazine into it and headed down the stairs.

"You know what the weird thing is?" Cloud whispered as he looked over his shoulder. Zack was following close behind picking at the rust on his sword.

He was glad Cloud had saved the thing, but he still wished it was put in a place where the weather hadn't gotten to it. But then again, Cloud probably never thought it would ever be used again.

"Hm?" Vincent looked back as well.

"Aeris seemed different. Like she knew something." the blond brushed away a few bangs.

"Really?" Vincent looked forward and continued descending the spiral staircase into the basement of the Shinra mansion.

"Its not like I'm saying she has anything to do with this mess, its just she was acting a little weird."

"You think it's possible it's not Aeris?" Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"No!" Cloud smirked. "It's really her. I just don't want her getting hurt because she's hiding information from us. She may have figured something out and isn't saying anything."

"Like something about Kadaj?" Zack cleared his throat.

"Um..." Cloud frowned. "Yeah."

"I know what you're talking about. I think she seemed a little different as well." Zack hopped down a couple steps to catch up with the two men. "Like she knows why Kadaj could be here. Or that he has some kind of connection to Sephiroth."

"We'll have to talk to her about it later." Vincent said.

"I don't want her to think we don't trust her." Cloud started.

"She should trust us as well..." Zack murmured.

"You think she's afraid to...because of Kadaj?" the blond asked.

"Exactly. She probably thinks that if she mentions anything that could lead to Sephiroth..." Zack stared at the gun in Vincent's hand. He was aiming it down a couple flights.

"That we'd kill him?" Vincent muttered and pulled the trigger. The sound boomed throughout the halls of the basement, echoing down the stairs.

"Yeah." Zack said after a minute. "What'd you shoot?"

"Bat..." Vincent simply replied and continued down the stairs.

"Bat...right..." Zack and Cloud met each other's gaze, a smirk crossed their faces.

"You don't like bats?" Cloud asked.

"..." Vincent was silent.

"You scared of 'em?" Zack pushed.

"..." the red eyes of Vincent Valentine stared at the two men behind him. "They're annoying. Keep you awake at night...and" He turned away from them. "They poop on everything."

The two other men snorted, trying to hold their laughter. Vincent ignored them as he stepped onto the dirty floor of the basement.

"Did you just say poop?" Zack snickered.

"...How old are we?" Vincent retorted sourly.

"Naw...it's just I never imagined you to be the one to say..." Zack looked at Cloud.

"Poop." the word popped out of Strife's mouth quickly. The two men laughed.

"...I think next time I'll choose Yuffie over you two." Vincent stared at his feet as he walked down the path to Hojo's lab.

"Doo-doo." Zack laughed.

"Number two." Cloud shrugged.

"Crap." Zack pointed in front of him.

"Shit!" Cloud pulled out his sword.

"Are we done talking about fecal matter?" Vincent grumped.

"No!" Zack placed a hand on Vincent's head pulling it upwards to face in front of him.

"What!?" Vincent cursed.

"Look!" Cloud lifted his sword. Vincent squint his eyes. Down the hall was a shrouded figure. It shook and tripped while traveling in circles.

"Another clone." Vincent slowly walked towards the body.

"S, S, Sephiroth..." It muttered to itself.

"You think it's dangerous?" Zack poked it with the handle of his sword. The clone stopped moving.

"I don't think so..." Cloud walked around the figure.

"Zzz...Ack..." the clone hissed.

"I think it likes you." Cloud mumbled.

"They all do." Vincent nodded.

"Why do they like me?" Zack walked behind Cloud. "Why don't they like you?"

"Pup...pupp..." the clone pointed a finger at Cloud.

"Don't you say it." Cloud growled. The Clone's finger poked the man in the chest.

"Puppet." It giggled.

"Damn it!" Cloud swung at the creature.

"Woah!" Zack brought his weapon up just in time to block the blow from hitting the clone.

"Damn...bastards..." Cloud grit his teeth. "I'm not a puppet!"

"Well shall we keep all of them alive, or what?" Vincent glanced at his broken claw.

"I don't know why we should keep them all, but I also don't know why we should kill them?" Zack shrugged.

"Why are there still clones?" the blond stepped into the lab. He froze by the entrance. "Damn it, I'm leaving." He turned and faced the other two.

"What's the problem?" Zack leaned to the side, getting a view of the inside of the lab. His mouth gaped open.

"Damn # are having a party in there." Cloud moved out of the way for Vincent and Zack to get inside.

"Holy..." Zack scratched his head. "How are we gonna get any research done now?"

The clones, who seemed to be very tall, were in the library tearing up all the books and records on the shelves. They frantically called out for reunion and Sephiroth. As Zack made his way into the room they all paused. One by one they all turned to face him.

"Creepy..." He held onto his sword.

"ZACK!" They all shouted and pointed their boney fingers at the man.

"That's right, #! I am Zack!" He nodded to Vincent and Cloud. The two joined his side. "And right now, you're tearing up all the evidence I need!"

The clones raised their hands in the air, glowing light blasted from their palms. Cloud, Vincent, and Zack tore down the lab towards the library.

"Damn! They have materia!?" Cloud pushed to the side as a blast of fire flew past him.

"They just keep getting' smarter, don't they?" Zack swung his sword through one of the cloaked bodies. It fell to the floor. His eyes widened at the sight. There was no blood.

'What?' he remembered the clones and monsters Hojo had created in the past. 'Why wouldn't these guys have blood?'

"Whew. Too easy!" Cloud mumbled as he took out three in one swing.

"Hey you guys notice anything different about these clones?" Zack raised his voice

"No blood." Vincent muttered. "Take them all down. Are these a new type of clone?"

"New type!? But how?" Zack cursed.

He swung his blade to the left and right, leapt over bodies and dodged books flung at his head. He dodged one clone's blow with a letter opener, falling to the chair at the desk. He kicked the thing in the head, pushing himself across the room by the wheels he sat on. The chair rolled backwards, hitting a body on the floor. Zack shouted as he fell over the back of the chair and plopped onto the floor.

"Quit playing around!" Cloud shouted over his shoulder.

"Heh..." Zack rolled his eyes as he drove his sword into the torso of another clone.

Suddenly bullets shot out all over the room. They ricocheted and blasted into the bookshelves and flew into the bodies of the remaining clones.

"Jeez!" Zack dove onto the floor. He saw Cloud doing the same.

'What the hell? Is that Barret?' Zack grit his teeth. In a second the room was silent. The two men raised their heads. They stared at the silhouette of the man in the room through the endless dust.

"Vincent?" Cloud coughed.

"What the hell was that?" Zack sat up. They stared at the man before them. Vincent stood in the center of the room. His jacket hung halfway off his shoulders. He stood with his feet apart. He held onto a large gun with his good hand. Vincent's eyes gleamed in the pale light. Was that a look of amusement?

"MP5...Barret said I should try it out." Vincent smirked. "Kinda tricky using it for the first time with only one hand..."

"Yeah, I bet." Cloud muttered.

"Can you warn us next time!?" Zack rubbed the back of his head. "Scared the shit outta me!"

"...Sorry..." Vincent straightened out his long jacket and pulled the the left side open. He slid the weapon into the straps of the garment and fixed his collar.

"Think you killed 'em." Zack kicked one. He raised an eyebrow. "Hey take a look. I don't think we were dealing with the normal clones." He removed the hood of a nearby body.

"They do look kind of familiar..." Cloud shook his head.

"Those dead ninjas we fought all those years ago..." Vincent cringed at the thought of Hojo's experiments. "But why are they still around? I thought they all were killed in the explosion...and at Shinra headquarters..."

"When we fought the underground?" Cloud asked.

"Exactly. Where else was Hojo keeping these things?" Vincent stood up.

"Well...all the files are burnt." Zack frowned at the burning pieces of paper. "Looks like they were so easy to defeat because they weren't fighting us."

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked. Zack pointed a finger at the burning books.

"They were trying to destroy evidence." Vincent growled. "You think it was Hojo's doing?"

"Either that...or Sephiroth." Zack headed for the doorway. It began raining inside. The alarm had been sounded and all the water spouts that lined the ceiling burst.

"Didn't think they'd still work." murmured Vincent. The tall man followed Zack out of the room.

"Why did you do that?" Cloud stared into the eyes of one of the dieing monsters. It gasped and scratched slowly at the floor.

"Sephi...roth..." it whispered. "He comes..."

"When?" Cloud leaned down next to the creature.

"Soon...now...later...when he comes..." it's eyes glared. He grabbed Cloud's wrist. "You will...help?"

"Help?" Cloud pulled away. "Never."

"He'll...make..." its eyes rolled into the back of its head. "death..."

Cloud stared at the dead body on the floor. He didn't notice he was soaked to the bone. He walked slowly from the room.

"You coming, Cloud?" Zack asked the man.

Zack and Vincent were standing in the middle of the dark hall. The clone from before was on its knees. Cloud stood next to it.

"What's it doing?" Cloud watched as it bowed and muttered to itself.

"I don't know. I walked by it and it started bowing." Zack rolled his eyes. "I think these things are all crazy."

"Wish we knew why they worshiped you." Vincent sighed.

"Yeah it's creeping me out. Stop it!" Zack grabbed the clone's arm, pulling him upward.

"Zz...ack!" It choked.

"What?" Zack asked.

"Sephiroth?"

"No...I'm not Sephiroth. Why do you bow to me?" Zack stared at its pale lips.

"I bow to Jenova..."

"Jenova?" Zack asked. "Then why not bow to Cloud as well? He's got Jenova inside him too."

"No...he's a puppet."

"No I'm not!" Cloud slapped the deteriorating wall next to him. He left a wet hand print.

"You have cells... you can't use them..." the clone poked Cloud. "You...like us...like us..."

"But what about me?" Zack asked.

"You use them...you control them. Jenova hates, but likes." the clone giggled.

"Gah! I don't get any of this." Zack rubbed his temples.

"You have the power to manipulate and control Jenova's cells. It's just like Sephiroth. The thing is, she can't control you. She likes you because you are so strong and capable of carrying out her mission, but she hates it because you are too strong and she cannot control you." Vincent informed.

"And I was never able to use them to their fullest potential. She was capable of taking over my mind at times, confusing me, manipulating me..." Cloud was barely audible.

"Yessss...puppet." the clone pointed to Zack and then to Cloud.

"Stop calling me that." Cloud groaned.

"Hey, clone." Zack tapped it on the shoulder. "Are you anything special?"

"No...just a sacrifice. Over and over again. Until Jenova gets what she wants." the clone mumbled. It's eyes looked sad.

"Sacrifice? Over and over again?" Zack took mental note of that comment. It was a little unusual.

"Have you been sacrificed before?" Vincent asked.

"Yesss...we all have..." the clone fell to the ground. "Maybe if I die here...I can die..."

"What?" Cloud kneeled beside him.

"Death...no sacrifice...sleeeeeep..." it fell onto its stomach.

"Hey!" Cloud shook it.

"You want to die, and stay dead?" Vincent asked.

"Hojo doesn't like that." the clone whispered. "You know..."

"Yeah, I know." Vincent snarled.

"Bye..." the clone simply said. Its eyes rolled back into its head as it convulsed.

"Wait! Don't die yet! You've got to answer our questions!" Zack tried to lift the clone, but it slumped back to the floor.

"...Its dead." Vincent walked to the staircase. "Come on, lets go tell the others what has happened."

"Then what?" Zack asked.

"We go to Shinra headquarters." Vincent stated.

"To the basement?" Cloud followed.

"To the underground." the man with the claw started up the stairs.

* * *

"We have a feast!" Yuffie cheered.

"I think the boy's eyes were larger than their stomachs..." Aeris smirked.

"Naw, whatever we don't eat, Barret will eat." Tifa giggled.

"Oh...You think we should get some more?" Yuffie questioned.

The girls walked back towards Cid's ship, carrying the buckets of food the boys had ordered. Cid, Barret, and Red XIII investigated the upstairs of the mansion, while Vincent, Zack, and Cloud took the basement. Cait Sith was standing guard on the airship.

"Chicken...chicken..and chicken. Did they order anything else!?" the ninja girl lifted a nostril. The smell of fried meat invaded her nose.

"Well, I've got mashed potatoes and biscuits." Tifa smirked.

"Leave it to Cloud and Zack to order." Aeris rolled her eyes.

"Wasn't Vincent with them?" Yuffie's mouth gaped open.

"Guess all men can be satisfied by the same things." Tifa laughed.

"At least we've got a good dessert!" Aeris beamed. She held onto a sack full of sodas, bottled water, and gravy in one hand and in the other were a couple of large apple pies.

"If they don't hurry, I'm gonna eat it all myself!" Yuffie's stomach growled.

"How much did all of this cost anyways?" Tifa felt her stomach drop.

"Doesn't matter, I used the cash Cid gave us!" Aeris giggled. "Just hope he didn't expect to get any change back."

* * *

"Aye, they told me to stay put, so that's what I'm doing!" Cait Sith talked into his PHS. He sat on the control panel facing the large window on the nose of the plane, which gave him a lovely view of the setting sun. A voice crackled through the phone.

"No, I figured I wouldn't have been of much help in the mansion. So I decided to stand guard here! At least I'd be able to call in case something happened." the cat purred.

_"But what if Sephiroth happens to show up there? What if Kadaj wakes up, remembers everything and goes on a rampage? Cait you aren't very useful anymore in battle. You keep your ears and eyes open, you hear me? I suggest you go check up on him and guard that room." _Reeve's voice called through the device.

"Aye, sir. I'll go check up. I'll report to you once the others get back." Cait Sith clicked the off button on the PHS. He set it down next to him and spun around. His shadow was elongated by the light of the setting sun. It connected with another next to him. He looked to his side.

"AH! What are you doin'-!?" Cait was pulled from his sitting place.

* * *

Well I'll end it here for tonight. For the delay I made a longer chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it, Don't worry I'll continue soon! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis123


	8. Chapter 8

Hello again! Yup, i got bored and wanted to write again. So this post is up sooner than expected. I noticed that when i don't wait as long i don't get as many reviews though. Oh well don't want to be a review hog anyways, but i do appreciate reviews because then i know what to fix, change, add more of and i just love some of the silly random ones i get! Thanks for reading and reviewing hope you all enjoy this chapter as well. -Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life of Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 8**

"Ah! Put me down!" Cait Sith hissed.

He struggled to free himself from the gloved fingers that were latched onto his belly. He scratched and clawed but to no avail. The cat glared at the other cat eyes before him. They held a perplexed look and had a faint glow. Cait Sith's growls were interrupted by another sound. The door to the cabin of the plane opened up.

"Ya know, I think you're absolutely right! I wonder what Cid would do-?" Tifa's voice halted. The other girl's giggles came to an abrupt stop as well once one of the tubs of biscuits dropped to the floor.

"Hey!" Tifa set the rest of the food on the floor and darted to the pilot's control panel.

"The food!" Yuffie picked up the bucket, luckily the lid on top had remained in place. The ninja girl sighed with relief.

"What's going on?" Aeris scurried towards the group by the panel.

"Let him go!" Tifa slapped the wrists that belonged to the hands holding onto Cait Sith.

"Help me, Tifa! He's tryin' ta kill me!" Cait Sith lunged into the woman's arms, pressing himself against her chest.

"I...I..." Cait Sith's supposed murderer stuttered.

"Kadaj, what are you doing?" Aeris set the bags in her arms onto the floor.

"He, he talks..." Kadaj pointed a finger at the cat.

"Yes, he talks!" Tifa sighed, scratching behind the distressed Cait Sith's ears.

"He's a robot, Kadaj." Aeris placed a hand on his shoulder.

"A, a robot?" Kadaj's mouth hung open. "I wanted to see. I heard a voice and I came in here and it was talking. I thought...I thought it was a real cat."

"Wait till he gets a look at Red..." Yuffie rolled her eyes.

"Red?" Kadaj tilted his head.

"You'll get to meet him soon." Tifa set Cait Sith back onto the panel. Immediately the man's hands wrapped around the cat.

"Hey!" Cait hissed again.

"You're so soft!" Kadaj smiled. He held onto the robotic animal, scrutinizing it.

"Help!" Cait Sith groaned.

"Oh cool it. He's not gonna hurt ya." Yuffie stuck out her tongue.

"What's his name?" Kadaj muttered after a minute. His eyes never left the cat's. "He has eyes like me, too."

"His name is Cait Sith." Aeris informed the curious man.

"Cait...Sith." the words rolled off his tongue. He chuckled softly.

"You have to be careful with him though, Kadaj." Tifa emphasized the man's name, giving him a warning. He brought his gaze to match hers. Her eyes held an even deeper threat within them.

"I..." he hugged the cat against his chest, like it was his best stuffed animal. "I will."

Cait Sith twitched uncomfortably beneath Kadaj's grasp. Kadaj was cold and hard. Cait Sith decided he preferred Tifa's chest instead.

"Where are the others?" Cait Sith muttered. He would give anything for them to have come in instead of the girls. Then he probably wouldn't be stuck in his current situation.

"They should be back soon, don't worry." Aeris smiled.

"Brother?" Kadaj asked. His fingers scratched between Cait Sith's ears. The cat involuntarily gave out a purr.

"Yes. Cloud will be back soon as well." Aeris nodded.

"Should I put him down?" Kadaj suddenly felt the blood drain from his face. He didn't want to admit it, but he was terrified of the other men. He knew one single wrong move could bring him to his death.

"...?" The girls gave each other a puzzled look.

"Only if you want to, Kadaj." Aeris looked at Cait. The cat was nuzzled in the man's arms, snoozing as if nothing had happened moments ago.

'Curse your wonderful, massaging fingers...' Cait Sith mentally grouched.

"Cait Sith looks like he's enjoying it just fine." Yuffie smirked. Kadaj looked back and forth between the women.

"It's okay Kadaj. You can hold him and pet him. You won't get in trouble for that." Tifa gave him a reassuring smile. Kadaj wasn't sure about that particular woman. Her moods and facial expressions changed too much.

"Okay..." the man whispered. He walked over to the window at the front of the plane. The orange glow of the setting sun reflected in his silvery strands. Kadaj rested against the side, petting and scratching the cat in his arms.

"I guess we should get dinner ready." Tifa sighed. She investigated the room around her.

"What'cha lookin' for?" Yuffie asked.

"Plates..." Tifa had a perturbed look on her face.

"Oh, we should have asked for something like that." Aeris put her hands on her hips.

"In the lower part of the plane. There are a bunch of boxes down there, I think one of them said something along the lines of eating utensils." Yuffie tapped the side of her cheek. "I'll go check it out." the girl skipped down the stairs.

"What's dinner?" Kadaj's voice broke the silence.

"It's a time where everyone eats." Aeris informed.

"Have you never had dinner before?" Tifa gave the man a look of disbelief.

"I've eaten...but not those..." The man pointed at the tubs of food covering the control panel. "What's inside?"

"Chicken, potatoes, biscuits, and apple pie." Tifa grinned at Aeris. Zack was right, Kadaj was just like a kid. 'How is it possible he's so innocent. It's like a completely different man.'

"Never had any of those." Kadaj shook his head. "When we were in the lab we could only eat this mushy stuff. And then Hojo would stick needles in our arms."

The two women gave each other a disapproving look. Kadaj was no different than Cloud. He had been messed with by Hojo, experimented on and abused. To think the man had never had any real food, had never had the chance to experience anything. He grew up in a test tube full of the vile liquid of mako and Jenova's cells. He was born for one purpose, to serve that abomination known as mother and the most horrendous experiment of them all, Sephiroth. To serve, to protect, to be sacrificed for. Tifa felt a pang of sorrow within her heart. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair for Kadaj, for Cloud, Vincent, Aeris, Red XIII, Zack, or any other body that lay on Hojo's table. Tifa suddenly felt very out of place within her group of friends.

"Well now you'll get to try some real good food!" Yuffie's voice called out. The young woman ascended the staircase, carrying a box covered in chicken scratches, no doubt Cid's handwriting.

As if on cue, the door of the plane flew open. The group of men trudged in, one of which was soaking wet. They all turned their heads to the food on the control panel.

"Let's eat!" Barret and Cid cheered. The two men skipped to the buckets of wondrous meats and carbohydrates.

The other men stood in their place, staring past the food on the panel towards the front of the plane. Cloud's eyes narrowed at the sight. Kadaj felt like an ant under a magnifying glass.

"Anything wrong?" Cloud asked.

"I..." Kadaj fidgeted. He looked at Cait Sith and set him on the floor. The cat yawned and slinked away. "I was just petting him..."

"Kadaj made a new friend while we were gone." Yuffie raised an eyebrow.

"..." Cloud was silent. He made his way to the circle of bodies sitting on the floor. Kadaj remained by the window.

The group silently handed plates and utensils to each other. The feeding frenzy begun once the lids of the tubs had been removed, Barret and Cid battling one another. Cloud lifted his head.

"Kadaj?" He murmured.

"Y, yes?" The man stumbled forward.

"Get over here and eat." the blond ordered. He didn't have glance back to see the nod Kadaj gave.

* * *

Tifa listened to the hum of the plane's engines. She slowly spun the ring on her right hand, staring at the light it cast off. She rested on her elbows against the metal bar by one of the windows. The stars crawled by overhead. Her eyes moved upwards when something moved in the reflection.

"Can't sleep?" Cloud's cool voice interrupted the silence.

"Not really...Can't stop thinking." Tifa shrugged her shoulders, the blanket wrapped around her moved with them.

"Thinking about what?" the man leaned forward. He let out a sigh, his breath fogged the glass before him.

"...Hrm. Everything." She scoffed.

"Everything?" Cloud's shining eyes looked sideways at her. Tifa blushed slightly as his head tilted towards her, his bangs falling in front of his face, an eyebrow raised. "That's a lot to think about."

"Sure is." Tifa sighed.

"Anything in particular that sticks out over all the others?" Cloud stared at the stars in the dark sky. Cid's snoring invaded the silence in the background. He slept with his chair propped backwards, his feet on the panel before him. The plane cruised through the night, set on auto-pilot.

"The kids." Tifa smirked.

"The kids?" Cloud turned his head towards her.

"Yeah...I hope they're safe." She shuddered.

"...Where are they?" Cloud asked. He hadn't thought of that before. Tifa and everyone else had left Edge, who was there to take care of the children?

* * *

"Now, come on! Let's not do this again!" Reno held onto Marlene's small hand. She was crying, calling out for Tifa and Cloud.

'Tifa...you owe me big time for this!' Reno growled mentally. The man was in his pajamas, which consisted of loose, grey, pants and nothing else.

"But, I want Tifa." Marlene sobbed.

"Marlene...Will you stop it!" Denzel rolled his eyes. "We've been abandoned, alright? Tifa and Cloud left us." the young boy smirked. This sent Marlene off the handle again.

"No! NO!" Reno glared at the laughing boy sitting on his leather couch. He flipped through the channels carelessly. "You want to shut up, kid?"

"Daddy!" Marlene shrieked.

"Oh...my..." Reno ran a hand through his long red hair. "Honey, honey...listen to me. Tifa and Cloud did not abandon you. They left on a very important business trip and I got stuck babysitting." Reno kneeled next to the girl.

"You hate us?" Marlene sniffled.

"No..." Reno scoffed.

'YES!!' he thought.

"Everything will be fine. Besides, tomorrow is the weekend, I have no work, you have no school! Isn't that great?" Reno tried to cheer the girl up. "I won't have to get you up, take you to school in the morning while I rush to not be late for work!

"You think we're a burden." Denzel shut off the TV.

"Boy...when I'm through with her, you an' I are gonna have a little talk about this attitude of yours..." the Turk said through gritted teeth. "Marlene, now I know you miss Cloud and Tifa, and daddy a lot, but you've just got to go to bed. You can't do this every night. You know they wouldn't want to know about how you've been acting. Um, what does Tifa do when you get upset like this?" Reno tried to compromise.

"She gives us lotsa ice cream and pizza!" Denzel grinned.

"Lie..." Reno rolled his eyes. "Tifa's not that fun, I know that."

"She lets me sleep in her bed..." Marlene spoke up.

"..." Reno twitched. He wasn't expecting that one. He laughed nervously.

"She lets you sleep in her bed..." Reno chuckled. "Great..."

"If Marlene is sleeping with you, I am too!" Denzel hopped off of the couch.

"Why?" Reno squeaked.

"First of all, theres no way I'm letting her sleep with you all by herself." Denzel held up one finger. The red head raised an eyebrow. "Second, I'm not sleeping in that room by myself! It's scary!"

"What's so scary about it?" Reno slapped his forehead.

"Theres...something weird about it." Denzel stared at his own feet.

"Listen, you want me to go ghost hunting for you, fine, but you are not sleeping in bed with me!" Reno made his way down the hall to the guest bedroom. He flipped the light switch on and took a long look inside.

"There...scared the #& away..." He muttered. Marlene covered her ears.

"You didn't do shit..." Denzel folded his arms.

"H, hey!" Reno pointed a finger at the boy. He stuttered slightly. "N, no! Don't say things like that!"

"Why? You just did." Denzel stuck out his chin.

"..." Reno glared. "Alright..." The man nodded his head as he slapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Marlene tomorrow you and I will go out for ice cream, whereas Denzel will stay here and clean up."

"What!?" Denzel leaned forward.

'Heh! Take that you lil' bastard!' Reno cheered silently.

"You heard me. You keep up with this attitude of yours, you're gonna be punished." Reno smirked.

"You can't do that! I'll tell Tifa!" Denzel grumped.

"Yeah and she'll love me for it!" Reno laughed. "Now..." he pointed behind him. "Bed, now!"

"But..." Marlene wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Both of you! You got that?" Reno squint his eyes, waiting for the nod of the children's heads. They moped to the guest room across from his own. He waited for the light to shut off before heading into the kitchen.

'Finally...' He sighed.

"Now...time for a drink!" Reno smirked.

_"No drinking in front of the kids, you hear me?" _Tifa's voice echoed within his mind.

"Yeah, yeah..." Reno pulled off the lid to his favorite liquor. "Mmmm..." The man opened the door to the refrigerator and pulled out a slice of pizza.

'Heaven!' he chuckled to himself. The man plopped onto the couch and flipped on the TV.

"Ooh...wonder is my show is on?" Reno glanced at the clock. "Eleven..." He pushed in the code to unlock all channels on the television. A smirked crossed his lips.

"You've been very bad!" the woman on the television spoke out. She slapped the desk before her.

"Oh really?" Reno laughed, taking a bite out of his pizza.

"I think you need to be punished..." The woman bit on her gloved finger tip, removing the article of clothing. Once that was removed she slowly removed the other.

"Oh yeah...punish me baby..." Reno said sarcastically. The man smiled as the woman unbuttoned her dress shirt. She removed that with ease, revealing a black, laced undergarment.

The red head swirled the brown liquid in his glass. The woman on the television brought her hands behind her back. "Man I need to find a real woman..." The man chuckled at himself. He felt a couple hairs stand on end as he took a swig of his drink.

"What'cha watching?" a little girl's voice asked.

"Pfft!" Reno sputtered. "I, I..." He fumbled with the controller. After flipping the channel a few times he finally hit the power button. The TV blipped as the pictures on the screen quickly shrunk and disappeared. His eyes fell onto the girl sitting next to him on the couch.

"Nothing...the news." Reno spat out.

"...You were watching a dirty movie!" Marlene giggled.

"No I wasn't!" Reno felt his face burning. "What are you doing up?" he changed the subject.

"I miss Tifa." Marlene frowned. She wrapped her arms around the man. The man froze, unsure of what to do. After a minute of thinking, Reno set his glass and piece of pizza onto the coffee table in front of him. He brought his arms around the little girl, holding her against his chest. Marlene nuzzled against him. Reno smirked.

'So this is what it's like to have kids...endless fun.' Reno sighed.

"Can I stay up and watch TV with you?" Marlene asked. "I promise I'll be good." Her eyes pleaded with his. Reno felt very awkward.

"...I don't know..." the man looked around the room.

"Please?" Her brown eyes widened. Reno felt his heart sink. He was reminded of the times he wanted to be held as a child. He scoffed to himself.

"Allllright..." He was defeated.

"Yay!" Marlene leaned against the man, wrapping her arms around his waist.

'This isn't what I meant when I said I needed to find a real woman...'

Reno leaned back in the couch. He turned the TV back on, making sure he found a channel that had something suitable for children. Needless to say, night television is very boring for a child...and Reno as well. Within minutes the two had fallen asleep, Reno sleeping with his back against the couch and Marlene against his stomach.

* * *

"You think that's a good idea?" Cloud raised an eyebrow.

"I think it is...I told him no drinking in front of the kids." Tifa said quickly. "I think he'll do a fine job." She smiled thinking of the trouble the children must be giving him. Cloud mistook the smile as something else. He felt a tingle in the back of his mind, a flutter in his chest.

"...You've seen him a lot lately." Cloud spoke up.

"Yeah." Tifa looked at the man. His face was stern, his eyes showed an unreadable emotion. "He always comes into the bar. I guess you could say we've become friends."

"Friends..." Cloud said with a monotonous tone.

"Look, Cloud...it was last minute, I couldn't get anyone else to watch the kids. I knew he'd do it." Tifa lowered her head.

"And what does he get out of it?" Cloud asked distantly.

"..." Tifa narrowed her eyes. "Nothing..."

"Nothing?" Cloud eyed her. "No money or anything? Don't you think we should at least pay him for watching them on such short notice?"

"I..." Tifa gave him a curious look.

'What's he doing?' Tifa balled her fists. 'Is he trying to get something out of me?'

"Okay." Tifa nodded. "I told him I'd go on a date with him."

"..." Cloud lowered his head. His hair hid his features.

"..." Tifa was silent. She knew she shouldn't have said it. Knew she shouldn't have agreed to it in the first place. Reno wasn't keen on the idea. Tifa offered anything to him and it just so happened, the man thought a date with her would be payment enough. She had to admit, however, the thought of a date was much more appealing than just paying him to do it.

"We should get to bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Cloud spun around and headed for the stairs.

"Cloud." Tifa called out to him. She stared at the window. The woman heard the shuffling of the man turning to face her. Cloud's eyes stared at her long, dark hair. "If you're mad, you can yell at me. Anything to get you to talk to me."

"..." The man slowly turned around. He paused a moment. "It's not you I'm mad at." He replied simply before descending the staircase.

'Then who exactly are you mad at?' Tifa sighed. She knew the answer. 'Reno? Nope, yourself, like always.'

* * *

"Kadaj, what's wrong?" Aeris asked. She had gotten up to use the restroom and had noticed his light was still on.

"I'm not tired." He replied dryly. She was slightly shocked at his tone. He almost sounded normal.

"You sleep too much?" She sat on the bed next to him. She felt him slide towards her.

"I don't know. Maybe." He shook his head, his silver bangs flew back and forth. "Mother?" he turned his head to face her.

"Hm?" She smiled at him.

"Are you really mother?" Kadaj asked.

"...Why would you ask?" her heart began to race.

"I keep hearing voices. Inside my head." Kadaj squeezed his head. "It hurts sometimes, like there's a scratching. It talks to me, says things to me..."

"What's it telling you?" Aeris asked.

"...Bad things." Kadaj's innocence surfaced again. "Really bad things." He smiled, it wasn't an innocent smile. Aeris tried to get up, Kadaj's hand pulled her back down.

"Kadaj?" the woman gasped.

"No, you're not leaving!" He pushed her backward onto the bed and pinned her arms down.

"Kadaj!" Aeris kicked her feet. Her heart was about to fly from her chest. All she could think of was Sephiroth in her room at Nibelheim.

"No..." Kadaj shook his head back and forth. He was battling with something inside his head. "She tells me to kill you. She says she wants you dead. That you're a traitor, you're a murderer...you want to kill me!" the man shook. His eyes stared into hers.

'Eyes...eyes like mine.'

"Kadaj...please." Aeris whispered. "Please don't hurt me." Her head turned to the side, away from his.

'Hurt...Don't hurt.' the clone shivered.

"Brother said not to hurt you!" Kadaj's grip loosened. "I have to protect brother because you protect him...and that means I have to protect you!"

"That's right." she took in a ragged breath.

"I'm sorry!" Kadaj let go. He covered his face with his hands, falling to his knees.

"Kadaj..." Aeris placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No, you have to get away! You have to get away from me, mother! Sephiroth wants out, he wants you, he's gonna kill you..." Kadaj sobbed. Aeris kneeled beside the man. "He's going to kill you..." she wrapped her arms around the man, trying to help him get over his psychological episode.

'Just like Cloud...' the woman ran her fingers through his hair.

"I don't want him to kill you." Kadaj turned to Aeris. He placed his hands on either side of her face. "Don't let him kill me..." His eyes were frightened.

"No ones going to kill you." the woman whispered. She rested her hands on his. "You have to talk to me, let me know what's going on. Let me know if Sephiroth is here."

"Sephiroth?" Kadaj whimpered. "He's always here! He'll always be here! He's a ghost. He'll never leave, just keep coming back. No matter how many times we kill him, he'll find another way..." the man rocked back and forth.

"We'll stop him." Aeris was determined.

"No...he'll use me, like before." Kadaj leaned forward on the floor, one hand rested on his forehead. "He'll kill me again."

"We'll keep that from happening." Aeris ran a hand up and down the man's back, trying to calm him.

"We?" Kadaj stared at her.

"Us...Cloud, Tifa, Cid, Barret, Yuffie, Red, Vincent, Cait Sith, Zack and I."

"Red? I didn't get to hear him talk..." Kadaj gave a sad look.

"I'll have him talk to you tomorrow." Aeris giggled. She ran a hand through the man's hair. "But you need to get some rest, okay?"

"Sleep..." the man shook his head. "I can't. He'll get me."

"It's not real, Kadaj. It's a dream. Don't listen to him, or the voice. They won't hurt you. We'll be here to protect you."Aeris stood.

"Protect me?" he lifted his head.

"That's right. That's what friends do. They protect each other." the woman grinned.

"Friends." Kadaj smiled. "Brother is a friend?"

"Yup."

"Mother...is a friend?"

"Yup, I'm your friend as well." Aeris lowered a hand to help the man up.

"Friends!" Kadaj laughed.

"Shh..." Aeris giggled. Kadaj covered his mouth. His eyes darted from side to side. "Go to bed."

The woman turned to head out the door. She felt a hand on her shoulder spin her back around. Kadaj wrapped his arms around her, hugging her.

"What happened?" A voice called from the doorway. Aeris stiffened. Kadaj dropped his arms quickly. He glared at the man who entered his room.

"Nothing." Aeris spun around. "I got up a while ago and noticed the light of his room was still on. I came in to check up on him."

"...You being good?" the ex-SOLDIER asked the silver haired man.

"Yes." Kadaj nodded.

"Is he being good?" he then asked the woman.

"Yes, Zack." Aeris rolled her eyes. "Let's go, Kadaj needs to rest." She wrapped her arm around Zack's elbow. She guided him out of the room. Kadaj stared, no emotion on his face. Aeris glanced back at the man. "Get some sleep, alright?"

The door shut quietly behind the too. Kadaj stared at it for a minute. His fists clenched as he glared at the wooden barrier that now separated him and Aeris.

* * *

"I don't like him touching you." Zack muttered.

"It's not like he was hurting me." Aeris sighed grumpily. She just wanted to get back to bed.

"I don't want you going in there alone again, alright? I don't want him to hurt you." the black haired man paced around the room. He was very restless.

"He won't hurt me, Zack. I know he won't." Aeris sat on the bed. The moonlight flooded through the small window in the room and shown across her eyes. Zack stared at them for a moment. He felt a shiver run down his spine. The way her bangs hung at the moment, the way her hair flooded down her back, the way her eyes glowed in the dark right then, it all reminded him of Sephiroth. Funny how the tables had turned. Aeris was once intimidated by Zack because he reminded her of Sephiroth, and now he was made nervous by her piercing gaze and dedication to Kadaj and keeping secrets from the others.

"You'd tell me if he did?" Zack tore his eyes from hers.

"...Yes." Aeris nodded. The man turned to her slowly.

"Why'd you hesitate?"

"I didn't." She raised her voice. Why was it so hard for them to get along lately? Maybe they needed a break from each other. She folded her arms across her chest.

"Aeris, don't keep secrets from me." Zack squeezed the bridge of his nose between his eyes.

"Why can't I?" She asked stubbornly.

"..." He simply stared at her. "Because, Aeris...You can get hurt if you do. You can get killed!"

"I won't..." Aeris shook her head. "I won't let it happen!"

"Oh, and who do you expect to save you if you continue keeping secrets?" Zack threw his arms into the air. "Kadaj!? He can barely understand where he is, let along understand whats happening all around us!"

"Kadaj just needs time!" Aeris stood from the bed. She made her way to the door.

"Where are you going?" Zack rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm not tired anymore." She quickly opened the door.

"Don't leave Aeris...we need to talk-" the door slammed. "...about this."

'Damn it!' Zack kicked the night stand. It fell to the ground as the leg flew across the room.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

"Why can't you talk to me Aeris?" He fell onto the bed and stared at the blank ceiling. "Why are you avoiding me?"

_"Because she doesn't love you..." _

"Huh?" Zack sat up.

'What the hell was that?'

He waited in the silence a moment, trying to hear anything else.

'Must be my imagination...'

_"I'm more than your imagination. I'm a physical part of you."_

Zack felt a sharp pain inside his head. He grabbed both sides, gasping for air.

'Damn, not this again!' He leaned forward.

_"You want me to kill her for you? Then you won't have to worry about her lying anymore. Lying about her feelings for the other men."_

"What other men?" Zack scoffed.

_"Why who else? Cloud of course. And what do you think about her and Kadaj? Doesn't it just make you jealous? To see her in the arms of another man? Doesn't it make you want to scream?"_

"You're...not Jenova..." realization struck the man.

_"Correct...If I'm not Jenova. Then who am I?"_ the voice chuckled.

"Get out of my head!" Zack darted from the bed. "Get out!" He began panicking. His heart was racing and his body was shaking. It was like something was trying to take control of him.

_"Emotions, they always made you vulnerable."_ the voice laughed.

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Zack dropped to the floor.

_"I think I've found myself a new puppet..." _

"You're not here, you're just messing with me." Zack darted to the mirror on the back of the door. "You're nothing more than a memory!"

"" the voice was gone.

"...Stay out. Bastard." Zack grit his teeth.

_"I'm more than a memory, Zack Fair..."_ the voice whispered. _"Soon everyone you know will be... and I'll make you a witness to it." _

"#& you, Sephiroth." Zack glared into his glowing blue eyes. "I'm not giving into this bullshit."

The room remained silent. Zack stared at his reflection in the mirror, looking not at himself but inside the room, for any signs that he wasn't crazy. Defeated he made his way back to the bed.

'What the hell was that?' the man lay on his back. He brought his arm over his face, shielding his eyes.

'I don't want to be crazy. I don't want to be like...' Zack's thoughts were silent a moment. 'those clones...like...'

"Cloud." the man frowned. He didn't want to say it, didn't want to think it, but the thought of having episodes like Cloud frightened him. Then a completely different thought popped into his head.

'Maybe if I go crazy, Aeris will pay attention to me.' Zack laughed out loud to himself.

He sighed and rolled over onto his stomach. His eyes stared out the window, looking at the dark clouds that began to cover the moon.

"What do you want with me Sephiroth? What do you want with any of us? Why not just come back, unnoticed and terrorize the world. Why do you have to play with us?" Zack moaned. He pulled the pillow over his head.

'He enjoys playing with us. It makes him feel powerful...' the man rolled his eyes. Did this mean Sephiroth was back or was he pulling these stunts from the Lifestream...or was Zack really crazy?

"Egotistical asshole."

* * *

Kadaj continued to glare at the door that had him trapped within his room. He thought of the dark haired man who had intruded earlier. The one whom mother had left with.

'I don't like him...' Kadaj sat on his bed. He rested his elbows on his knees and cupped his hands in front of his face. 'Not one bit...'

"He wants to take mother away from me..." the man growled.

* * *

Okay this will be the end of this chapter. I did plan on making a little longer and full of entirely different material. Oh well. No action in this one. Hope you all still enjoyed it, drama drama drama. Maybe some day I'll get some romance into these chapters! Well thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis.


	9. Chapter 9

Hello! Thanks for reading and reviewing in the last chapters. I'm glad to see that some of you are curious about some things. Well I'm just going to get started on this chapter, hope you all enjoy! -Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 9**

There was a thick fog along their feet. Everywhere they walked the dust was kicked up. Shinra was just as they left it, in ruins. The air was thin and the wind chilled them all to the bone. Now that the city was destroyed there was nothing left to block the wind. There was one plus however, without all the skyscrapers the golden glow of the rising sun could be seen along with the blue-green waves of the ocean. The city was dead but there was still something beautiful about it.

Aeris stretched out her arms as if reaching for the white puffy clouds overhead. She listened to the far away roar of the crashing depths off the coast. Being devoid of all the sounds of traffic, merchants, and rushing city-folk Midgar could finally rest peacefully, any soul here could rest peacefully to the sound of the ocean and flocking seagulls. The woman let out a soft sigh. Too bad her and her company hadn't come to Midgar to relax, but to investigate. It was going to be a long day and she knew at the end of it all, she'd fight with anyone, including Barret and Cid, over the bath.

"Looks like there's about a twenty foot drop..." Cloud's voice broke the woman out of her thoughts. "Is there any other way in?"

"I don't feel like falling again any time soon." Yuffie muttered. She pulled on the collar of the long black jacket around her shoulders. She felt bad about Vincent loaning it to her, but Damn it, she was freezing! Besides her and the girls would most likely go shopping later. She'd pick up one of her own then.

"Yeah. No kiddin'." Tifa scoffed. She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling the strands out from the inside of her jacket. She loved having long hair but it sometimes felt like she was going to strangle from it.

"Why don't we circle around to the other side? It may take longer but I'd rather find a safer route." Aeris stared at the ocean.

"Sounds like a plan." The group walked carefully over the rubble around them. Anyone could fall and find themselves impaled by a piece of metal or glass.

Zack stared at the spiraling metal rebar by his side. His stomach growled loudly. The man wrinkled his nose. Was it because he was hungry or was it because his gut remembered the feeling of that same type of metal grinding through his insides? He trudged along the dust and broken pieces of dry wall.

After thirty minutes of searching the exterior of the damaged building Vincent was able to find a suitable entrance for everyone, well everyone but Barret. He just didn't like the idea of crawling through an air duct.

"Too damn tight in there! I barely fit the last time we did something like this...and I know I sure as hell din't get any smaller!" the man folded his arms.

"Fine. Then you can stay out here." Vincent grumbled.

"I ain't staying out here!" the man slammed his robotic hand into a piece of sheet metal. He huffed and puffed for a moment, trying to decide. "Fine, but I ain't goin' in first."

"I'll go first." Zack shrugged. "Can't be that bad, right?" he leapt upwards, grabbing the vent. He pressed his boots against the side of the wall and pulled on the grated metal. It popped from its place rather easily, dropping the man quickly onto the dust behind him. His eyes widened when he felt something dig into his back. He felt his back was cold and wet. The only thought in his mind was of that piece of rebar.

"Ow!" A muffled cry came from underneath him.

"Sorry!" Zack scurried to his feet. He helped the disoriented Cloud from off the ground as he rubbed the spot in his back. What had he fallen on besides Cloud?

"Where'd that ether go?" the blond stared at the ground.

"Ether?...Oh..." Zack scratched his head, eyeballing the broken glass and smeared liquid upon the debris.

"You smashed it." Cloud picked up a piece.

"Sorry. I'll buy ya a new one when we're finished here." the man laughed sheepishly.

"..." Cloud dropped the colored piece in his hand.

"Use you're PHS. I'll let you know as I go through." Zack patted Cloud's shoulder. He grabbed Vincent's PHS. "Borrowing this." he said quickly.

Zack turned back to the vent. He leapt and grabbed the inside. He effortlessly pulled himself into the metal tunnel.

"Ya sure it was a good idea to make him go in first?" Yuffie snorted.

"Rather him than me! I'd jes' get myself lost in 'ere." Cid patted his pockets. His cigarettes were MIA.

_"So far so good!"_ Zack's voice scratched through Cloud's PHS.

"Keep going, Zack." Cloud muttered.

_"Sure thing!"_ Zack said a cheerfully.

The men relayed information back and forth to each other as the rest stared at the rubble around them. Aeris sat on a large metal support beam. Her eyes stared at the waters a couple miles away. She wished she was there right now, instead of at the Shinra headquarters. She was alive again and instantly back to work, just like right before she died. Would she ever get to go back to her old life? Would she ever get to go back to selling flowers, gardening in her church, or go out on relaxing picnics?

"You ok?" Tifa's voice asked. The dark haired woman sat next to Aeris.

"Hm? Yeah. Just thinking." Aeris smirked.

"So quiet here." Tifa sighed. "Haven't been in a place this peaceful in a while. Though, it is just rubble now."

"Better that way." Aeris whispered.

"Better?" Tifa stared at the woman.

"Well, the quiet. No Shinra. Nothing to scare the people anymore, to hurt the people." the woman twirled her hair.

"I see." Tifa nodded. "Much better." she smiled.

"Tifa. I want to go to the beach. I want to lay out there, relax, drink something fruity with those cheesy umbrellas. I want to play volleyball with everyone, doesn't matter that I've never played before." Aeris continued on with her vacation fantasy. Tifa stared at grassy plains that flowed into ocean.

"I agree, Aeris. We need to go to Costa Del Sol. Actually stay there, and not chase Sephiroth, or run into Hojo. Have fun with everyone, live like normal people." She smiled. She would love to get everyone together for something fun rather than dangerous.

"Our times together are fun, but I don't want something bad to happen again. Not before we can ever get the chance to live comfortably." the green eyed woman rested her head on her arms.

"Live comfortably. In a nice house, in a quiet place." Tifa smirked.

"With a garden, and a little fence..."

"Have a dog or a cat."

"Get married."

"Have children."

"Birthday parties."

"School."

"Vacations..." Aeris giggled.

"Lots of long vacations!" Tifa finished.

"You think it'll ever happen?" Aeris asked.

"The vacation? Sure. After all this I'll make sure we all get together again." Tifa smiled.

"No...not that." she shook her head. Tifa gave her a quizzical look. "A family. Do you think we'll ever be able to start a family?"

"...I don't know. I suppose it takes more than one person to start a family, huh?" Tifa breathed a laugh.

"Yeah." Aeris nodded.

"But...didn't Zack-?" Tifa started. Then she realized something.

'Does Aeris not want to get married? At least...not to Zack? No that can't be it. She's just in a slump right now. Maybe she doesn't think Zack loves her anymore.' Tifa rubbed her face.

"He did...before he died." Aeris whispered.

"And?" Tifa asked.

"I don't know. He hasn't said anything else about it." she shrugged. "I'm sure it's nothing. I'm not worried about it right now."

"Have you two been fighting?" Tifa asked.

"All the time."

"Oh...Maybe you two just need a break from each other."

"That's what I've been wondering. He's been very preoccupied with Sephiroth and it just gets tiring after a while."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Tifa sighed. She set her chin in her hands. The cold wind whirled her hair about her.

"What's wrong with those two guys?" Aeris laughed.

"It's pretty sad when they pay more attention to another man..." Yuffie's voice sounded from behind the two girls.

"It is!" Aeris and Tifa cackled.

'What are they talking about?' Vincent's ears twitched at the evil laughter coming from behind him.

"Seems like everyone's more worried about the dead person, huh?" Tifa held a hand to her lips. She hoped Aeris didn't take offense to it. She didn't mean it in that way. But then again, it was true.

"What kind of world are we livin' in?" Aeris stood slowly.

"They...they all do..." Yuffie gasped, deep in thought. "Well, except Cid."

Vincent thought of Lucrecia, Zack and Cloud were worried about Sephiroth and Barret, though he rarely said anything, he never did get re-married.

"You think they've found a way in yet?" Tifa asked.

"Well..." Aeris winked at Tifa. "We did send Zack in first."

_"Hey! I'm gonna need a little help here!"_ Zack's voice yelled over the PHS. This gripped the girl's attention.

"Ya' think he got stuck?" Yuffie smirked.

_"RIGHT NOW!"_ he called out again.

"Come on, ladies! Chat time's over!" Cid scrambled to the wall where the vent was. Cloud and Vincent had already dove in.

"Uh oh!" Yuffie followed.

"Zack..." Aeris scampered to the wall as well.

"I'm sure he's fine." Tifa said reassuringly. The woman knew Zack was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but the thing that made her nervous was what, or who did he find.

* * *

_"How we doin' Zack?"_ Cloud's voice echoed through the vent.

"Just peachy. Don't tell Yuffie, but I just saw a spider...Ah!" the man shook his arm quickly throwing the hairy beast off of his arm. He slammed his metal bangle onto the arachnid. "#&!" he cursed at it.

_"Any turns?"_ Cloud asked.

"Nope, just going straight so far. I can see through the grates pretty easily. It brakes off here an' there but it's no prob'. Everyone, including Barret should be fine."

_"What floor you on?"_

"Hmmm...I'm in the basement right now, but not to that lab yet. That's a few feet lower. Erm!" he grunted.

_"What happened?"_

"This part's a little tough. The damn vent curves straight down. Surprised it's still in as good shape as it is." the man supported himself in the center of the tunnel. His boots and hands stuck to the side as he slowly slid downwards. "Should'nt have killed the spider. Could have asked his advice..."

_"How far does it drop?"_ the blond asked.

"Um, not sure. It's pitch black right here..." Zack laughed nervously. "Kinda creepy."

_"Scared of the dark?" _

"Ha! Never...AH!" Zack screamed. He fell down the chute.

_"What happened now!?" _

"Eyes! AH! What the hell is it!? It's crawling on me!" Zack flailed his arms at the unknown intruder.

_"It's the spider...it came back to haunt you." _Cloud's voice was dull.

"Damn it!" Zack pushed out on the sides, halting himself. "Damn squirrel!"

_"A what?"_ there was a hint of laughter a the end of Cloud's question.

"It was a squirrel." Zack rolled his eyes. "Damn thing's eyes were glowing. Didn't know what the hell it was. Furry...talons..."

_"Are you down there yet?" _

"Yeah, but you guys be careful right there...it's quite a fall. You'll have to take it slow." Zack informed. The man popped open the vent. He heard it crash onto the floor. The man began to descend but came to an abrupt halt.

_"Okay. Well since you're almost there. I think we might start heading in." _

"Wait. I saw something move." Zack whispered into the device.

_"Another squirrel probably."_ he dripped of sarcasm.

"No! I'm serious, this doesn't look good."

_"What is it?" _

"I..." Zack felt the vent vibrating. "Oh shit."

_"What!?"_

The black haired man felt himself suddenly falling into the darkness of the sub-basement of the Shinra Headquarters. All around him he heard scuffling and moaning. He landed hard on the invisible floor beneath him. He could smell chemicals and something like rotten fruit. This was bad. It reminded him too much of the zombie movies he always watched.

'I'm so screwed!' Zack jumped to his feet and drew his sword. He couldn't see a thing in the dark, but there was no way he was going to let whatever it was in there with him get him.

_"Zack!"_

"Shh!" Zack hissed into the PHS. He walked slowly to the side in hopes of reaching the wall. Maybe if he was lucky he'd find a light switch. He bumped into something and then it moved.

"Ah! Shit!" Zack swung his sword. He cut air. He darted to the side, running, not caring where he was. He needed light. Everything was always scarier in the dark. He needed to get away from whatever it was he bumped into, before it ate his brains. He ran and ran and ran into something very hard, the wall. His hands brushed along the side of the wall. He hoped to god the basement still had electricity or some kind or backup generator.

'Click' Light flooded into the room. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust and to understand what it was he was hearing. Before him was a group of monsters. The room held at least twenty from what he could see. They had bandages over their eyes, and pale slick skin. How long had they been down there? They all were howling and scurrying about at an abnormal speed.

"Hey! I'm gonna need a little help here!" Zack called out into the PHS. As if on cue, all the bodies stopped. The turned slowly and faced the disheveled man in the corner of the room.

'Thump' They all took one step toward Zack.

"RIGHT NOW!" Zack hollered.

'Damn, it's going to take them at least five minutes to get here.' He stuffed the phone into the pocket of his black pants.

"Ok..." Zack took a deep breath. These things looked scarier in the light. He squeezed the handle of his sword. "Who's first?"

The whole group of demons lurched forward, they spread apart their clawed fingers. Their palms glowed brightly.

'Damn they have materia as well?' Zack dove to the side as a flash of blue exploded next to him. He felt a wave of cold air. The sound of tinkling glass crackled behind him. He watched the ice sickles shatter on the stone floor. Zack got to his feet and ran along side the wall. One of the zombie like creatures skittered along the floor towards him. It reminded him of a spider.

"Hate spiders!" Zack brought his sword down. It met with cement as the creature dove out of the way. Zack's mouth gaped.

'Too fast...too fast, even for me.' he grit his teeth.

"Guess I just gotta be faster!" He spun around, swinging his sword. He timed it just right, the monster behind him had covered ten feet in the amount of time it took for Zack to turn around. The blade cut deep into the being's flesh. Zack stuck a boot against it's chest, pushing him off of his blade. The monsters may be fast, but they are very soft, easy to kill if you can just hit them.

'Ok, just got to predict their movements.'

He felt bony hands through his blue long sleeved shirt. It was too late for him to react. Three more pairs of hands gripped his body. He felt energy building within their palms, they were going to pound him with their materia. Zack squirmed as he felt the blast of needle like sickles cutting through his skin. His body felt like he had fallen into the icy depths around the Northern Crater. Ice magic wasn't particularly dangerous because of the cuts and blast, at least at this level of spell it wasn't, it was the cold. Sometimes it would leave the body in shock and may, at times, stop the heart. Very deadly to enemies who lived in hot areas or were made up of fire. Zack lifted his sword and swung it down as they bombarded him with level two spells. They either were holding back or weren't very good with magic. The sword cut through the two at his feet. He elbowed the one pressing against his chest in the face and snagged the wrist of the one from behind gripping his shoulders. Zack flung the monster over his back. It curled in pain as it hit the floor. Zack kicked it in the face.

'This is going to be a pain...' He groaned as he dove behind a tank. The man checked his bangle, seeing what materia he had equipped. Zack was more physical than magical, but he was strong enough to throw out level three spells. Luckily all his materia was maxed out and he had thunder equipped. He waited for the monsters to group together. It was the first thing Zack noticed. They attacked in groups.

"How about this!?" Zack jumped out into the open and pushed out a thunder spell. He felt the energy flow down his arms and explode from his finger tips. It had been a long time since he had used magic. He watched as three of the monsters shook violently and dropped onto the floor. Two others had dove out of the way just in time.

'Lucky bastards...' Zack grit his teeth. He felt claws dig into his shoulder. The man cursed as he felt hot blood ooze from the wound. 'Just bought this shirt, too...'

Zack head butted the beast digging in his skin. He turned, kicking upwards against the monster's skull. He heard a satisfying crack upon impact. He had taken out at least half the beasts, he wondered how long it would take before they surrounded him. The man glanced around the room, they were all gone.

'The hell?' he hid behind a pile of boxes. Were they hiding as well or did they know a way out?

A groan sounded from the center of the room. Zack lifted his head. One of them was wounded. It shook and shuddered on the floor. Maybe they all did leave and they left this one behind. Zack stood slowly. He drew his sword.

'Could be a trap.' Zack looked back and forth as he slowly approached the wounded monster. The man eyed the burnt leg of the thing. He had hit it with his thunder spell. It was one of the two that had dove out of the way but this one was too slow. The monster turned its head slowly. The bandage around its eyes slid to the floor. Zack stared in disgust at the being's white, glossy eyes. A screeching noise sounded from all around. Blurs of white exploded from around the room. Zack was surrounded, it had been a trap. He lifted his sword and spun, preparing to hit every single one of the creatures. The ex-SOLDIER, however, was not quick enough. They all ducked, the blade hitting nothing but air. Zack couldn't stop, the momentum of the blade was too much to make an immediate stop unless he dropped it and that was not going to happen. The monsters wrapped their arms around the man and pulled him down. He was captured and now, they were going to eat his brains. The thought made Zack shiver.

'This is not good...' Zack gulped. Their bony fingers twitched and squeezed him. The wounded monster slowly stood from its place on the floor. It turned towards Zack and stared at him with his blank eyes. The monster's palm faced the man. It glowed a brilliant blue. Zack cringed. This zombie knew the mastered spell. An ice sickle formed, growing from its hand. The thing planned on impaling Zack. He could imagine the freezing cold invading his body as the ice spike was shoved through his torso, like the rebar had. The monsters pushed Zack down the more he fought back. There were too many, he couldn't get them off.

"Get away!" Zack kicked his foot. It crashed into one of the monster's face. The thing convulsed on the floor as it held onto the wound. Zack stared at the approaching beast's eyes. There was nothing, no emotion could be seen in those eyes. The beast launched the sickle at the man's chest. Zack froze. He was going to be impaled again and this time he wasn't sure if he'd live through it.

The ice sickle flew through the air, tiny crystals trailed behind it. The point of it sparkled in the light. Zack could hear the sound of it as it pushed through the air at a high speed, along with the sound of metal being crushed.

'What-'

The ice sickle burst into millions of pieces just as it poked the skin on his chest. Zack stared at his chest, there was a tiny hole in his shirt.

'Pecks of steal...' he smirked.

"You alright!?" Cloud's voice called out.

"Wasn't going to be." Zack replied. The monsters released the man. They stood quickly and sprinted across the room to where the vent was. Vincent's claw had dug through the metal of the tunnel. The barrel of his gun was sticking from the hole, obviously the real cause of the ice sickle being blown into millions of pieces.

"Nice shot." Zack nodded towards the dark man as he leapt from the now broken vent.

"What are we fight-?" Vincent was interrupted as on of the beasts leapt onto the man's back.

"Quick little suckers!" Zack hollered as he drove his sword through the side of the monster on Vincent's back.

"I know someone...quicker." Vincent smirked.

"Sure ya do, but do we gotta see him right now?" Zack gave a nervous chuckle.

"Wow! What are those!?" Yuffie leapt from the vent.

"Looks like Hojo's zombie clones." Red XIII replied. He bit onto one of the creature's necks. The animal scowled at the taste. "These one's seem to be a little outdated."

"How long do you think they've been here?" Tifa asked as she dropped from the vent.

"A week, maybe..." Cloud frowned.

"What's that smell?" Aeris' voice sounded. "Oh." She stood at attention, holding her staff close to her chest. She swung it hard at one of the creatures standing next to her. It slumped to the floor.

"Nice shot!" Cid muttered as he dropped next to the woman.

"How'd you hit it so easily?" Yuffie asked incredulously.

"I just did..." Aeris shrugged. "It was just sitting there staring at me."

"Staring?" Cloud and Zack looked at the zombie clones. They were slowing down. One after another, they stared at Aeris.

"Hey! You're opponent is me!" Zack yelled. He threw his sword towards the clone who had tried to kill him moments ago, it caught his blade with its claws. The monster's eyes never tore away from Aeris.

"Why are they staring?" Aeris shuddered.

The monsters approached the girl slowly.

"I'll take care of 'em" Barret thumped onto the floor. His gun-arm was loaded and ready. He blasted around the room carelessly. The monsters dodged the bullets effortlessly. The walls, ceiling, and support beams, however, received the damage. "What!?"

"Ah!" Aeris shrieked as one of the monsters grabbed her. It tugged her across the room at an incredible speed. The claws of the monster broke her skin. A trickle of blood dripped across the floor, leaving a trail.

"Where they goin'!?" Barret ran after the monsters.

"Aeris!" Zack darted across the room. The monsters clawed through a hole in the wall. Aeris' screams quickly faded.

"Shit!" Zack dove into the wall. He was quickly pulled out by Vincent.

"They left for a reason..." Vincent looked around the room. "It wasn't just to take her away from us, but it for something else as well." the man frowned. "This isn't good, Barret."

"What? Why you blamin' it on me?" Barret got face to face with Vincent.

The room rumbled.

"What was that!?" Yuffie whimpered.

"Barret, ya dumb ass! You gone an' tore up this room!" Cid headed for the elevator at the side of the room. "Ya think this thing still works?"

"It's worth a try." Vincent approached the transporter.

"But, what about Aeris!?" Zack stared at the dark hole. He looked down. The hole went out a few feet but suddenly dropped. It was an endless pit.

"This must be the lab that Reno told me about. The lab that Hojo had secretly run his experiments that even Shinra didn't know about." Tifa looked about the room at the empty tanks and chemical lined shelves. Cloud eyed the woman.

"Hojo did a lot of things he wasn't supposed to. Judging by that hole over there, there is only one place it could lead to..." Vincent forced the door of the elevator open. "The underground. Come on, we'll have to climb the cables down." With that the man leapt into the elevator shaft.

"He's crazy..." Cid shook his head. "& damn crazy."

"Come on, the quicker we get out of here, the quicker we get to Aeris." Cloud placed a hand on Zack's shoulders. The two man shared the same worried look. Why would the monsters want Aeris? The question left the men to think of too many scary solutions. The room rumbled again.

"Hurry!" Yuffie jumped down the shaft next.

* * *

"You like poker?" Cait Sith asked.

"Never played." Kadaj shook his head.

"Never played!?" the cat scattered the cards across the floor. "Well, I'll teach ya, lad."

"...I didn't know cats could play poker."

"Play poker, black jack, Ancients hold 'em, anything!" the cat shuffled the cards.

"You like to gamble..."

"That's my game! So you wanta make this interestin'?" The cat wiggled his whiskers.

"Interesting?"

"Let's make a bet! Bid something."

"But, I don't have any money." Kadaj held out his hands.

"Materia?"

"Nope."

"Well...what about the gold ring you've got there?" Cait Sith had caught a glimpse of the said item earlier while Kadaj was staring out the window.

"What ring?" Kadaj stammered.

"Ya know what I'm talkin' aboot."

"..." Kadaj stuck his finger in his pocket. "It's important to me, I don't want to use it."

"Well what're ya gonna use then?" Cait Sith sighed.

"I..." Kadaj pulled out the jewelry. Cait Sith's eyes widened.

"Say where did ya find that?" Cait Sith reached for the ring.

"In the Lifestream. At the crater. When I was trying to get out I saw it on a nearby rock." Kadaj explained. He held it out for Cait to see.

There was no doubt about it. That ring was the ring Zack had given to Aeris as he died. It had fallen over the ledge into the flowing stream below. Cait Sith watched it sparkle in the sunlight.

"Say, what'd ya do if I told ya that I know the owner of that ring?" the cat asked.

"Well...I found it. They obviously didn't want it, or care for it if it had gotten lost...there of all places." Kadaj held onto the ring. "It's mine now."

"Oh boy...just don't show that ring to anyone else, ya hear?" Cait Sith cleared his throat.

"But, I was going to give it to mother."

"Oh, especially her." Cait Sith muttered under his breath.

"You think I should wait?"

"Yeah I think you should wait. Wait till a holiday...or her birthday."Cait Sith rubbed his paws together as he dealed out the cards.

"Birthday?"

"There's a lot of things you don't understand isn't there?" Cait Sith rolled his eyes. "Listen, I'll tell ya all aboot it if you play a game with me." Kadaj nodded quickly.

"I'll bet on this!" Kadaj set a box onto the floor. Cait Sith eyed it suspiciously. It was Cid's cigarettes. He sighed.

"I'm not gonna ask. Say, have you ever had your fortune told?" Cait Sith grinned.

"So this is the underground..." Zack looked up at the pipework and support beams that seemed to stretch for miles above their head.

"This is Hojo's headquarters." Vincent murmured.

"You think this is where Hojo has been hiding all the other clones?" Tifa leaned on a railing. She overlooked the platforms and walkways.

"I have no doubt in my mind...the only question is, how have they stayed alive this long." Vincent walked down a flight of stairs towards a glass elevator. After the last battle with Vincent and the Tsviets of Deepground the underground facility had encountered severe damage. Luckily, the lower levels of the building were still in tact and safe enough to explore.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" Yuffie spit over the ledge, she watched it twirl and spin as it fell down the many levels.

"Gross!" Tifa elbowed the girl.

"We're down here to find out anything about Hojo and to find Aeris." Vincent huffed. The group gathered into the elevator.

"You think this meets the weight requirements?" Cid patted his pockets. "Where the hell are my &# damn cigs!?"

"You're supposed to be quitting..." Tifa sang.

"Oh no, not you too." Cid grumped.

"It is bad for your health." Vincent mumbled.

"Shut yer traps!" the pilot leaned against the elevator wall.

The elevator dinged by each floor. The trip was slow and excruciating. Barret couldn't stop twitching, his fear of claustrophobia was beginning to be a pain in the ass. It was bad enough getting him safely through the vents earlier.

"Will you stop it! You're like a chihuahua!" Yuffie rolled her eyes.

"I ain't doin' nuthin'!" Barret raised a fist.

"Hey hey, don't rock the boat!" Cid pressed himself against the wall even more.

"Knock it off!" Tifa slapped Barret in the arm.

"Ow! Tell her to stop bitchin'." the man glared.

"Stop all of it, or I'm turning this elevator around..." Vincent murmured. Needless to say, the group was speechless at this comment.

"I wouldn't put it past him." Zack finally broke the silence. The elevator sounded the final floor and popped open its doors.

"Follow me." Vincent led the way through the halls. Their footsteps echoed on the grated metal and deep corridors. Tifa began to wonder how Vincent had even gotten past any guards the last time he was down here.

"There should be a lab around the corner. There we can access all private files from Hojo's experiments. We should also be able to find out information on these new types of clones..." Vincent stopped. He opened the glass door into the lab. He pulled out his weapon and darted around the corner. The group followed his actions.

"Hey!" Yuffie called out.

"Wait..." Vincent held up a hand.

At one of the computer desks was a young girl. She had been clicking away at the computer. She now had her hands raised in the air, a small smile crossed her lips.

"Shelke?" Vincent put away his weapon.

"Vincent Valentine." Shelke nodded.

"What are you doing here?" the dark man approached the girl.

"I've been coming here lately, researching, trying to find out more about myself and...my sister."

"I thought you were supposed to be in school." Vincent eyed the computer. She quickly pressed a button, hiding the screen from view. Vincent gave her a curious look. Was she looking up files about him?

"I...It's a weekend." She stammered.

"It's dangerous here." Vincent tried.

"You know I can take care of myself." She pointed to the corner of the room where her weapon rested against the wall.

"How'd you get down here?" Zack spoke up. He was curious about this little girl.

"You are..." She stood from her chair quickly. "Zack, correct?"

"...Um...yeah." he rubbed the back of his head. "How'd you guess?"

"I've been researching you. I found quite a few files in here."

"In these computers?" Vincent's voice raised.

"But, I thought these were only for private experiments." Tifa stared at the little girl.

"Indeed they are. Hojo had a lot more plans for this man." Shelke pointed a finger at Zack. "Looks like he never got the chance to finish his work."

"Never finished? What else did that monster plan to do to me?" Zack grit his teeth.

"Lots of things. We can discuss these things later. What brings you here?" the girl leaned back in her chair.

"We came to find out more information on Hojo." Vincent informed.

"Hojo? Well I'm afraid there isn't much about him in these computers anymore. The Tsviets had terminated a lot of the files upon Hojo's request. What questions do you have about him? Maybe I can look up something."

"We were wondering about the creatures down here." Cloud took a step forward. "They took a friend of ours and ran off into a tunnel that seemed to lead underground."

"Oh...the Wandering Clones." Shelke spun around to the computer. She quickly pulled up a file. "They are called that because they are the only type of clones that seem to wander to different locations in search of food, resources, and anything else they deem important at the moment. They obviously want your friend for a reason, hopefully not to eat."

"Eat!?" Zack looked around the room.

"Was it a male or female?" she asked.

"Female." Vincent confirmed.

"Hmm...It isn't their normal time for mating rituals..."

"Mating?" Cloud swallowed hard.

"I can't seem to find a reason why. It doesn't seem quite logical. Unless..." Shelke stared at Zack. "There's something about you. In the files it reported you as dead more than four years ago. I figured that was to keep you in secret from everyone else."

"Yes...I did die, but Hojo did something to me and brought me back." Zack glanced at her.

"Hmm... I don't quite get it. Is there anyone still alive with Jenova's cells within them?" Shelke asked.

"I am." Cloud tilted his head.

"Me." Zack raised a hand. "I also died again...about four years ago. I was only alive for a short amount of time before Sephiroth killed me. I just recently came back. Along with the woman who was taken by those clones."

"How'd you come back?" Shelke was astonished.

"We're trying to figure that out." Zack murmured. "So far we only know it has something to do with the Lifestream."

"The Lifestream..." Shelke thought hard.

"I am interested in the information you have found about these monsters. Maybe you and I can research together." Red XIII padded next to the girl.

"We can share information. I think it would be best if you share your resources with me and I will show you mine. We must figure this out... that girl." Shelke turned her attention back to Zack. "Who is she?"

"Her name is Aeris. She is the last remaining Cetra."

"The last Cetra!" Shelke gasped. "Why that's it! She had to have been taken for that reason! I think we need to research this immediately. She is the last Cetra, came back from the Lifestream and is now kidnapped by the clones. You know, I thought it was strange for them to still be alive, but now it makes since..."

"What?" Tifa asked.

"Have you noticed any other clones roaming around?" Shelke tapped on the keyboard.

"Yes, actually quite a few." Vincent stared at the screen.

"Well I think there's something going on here with the Lifestream and the events that happened in the Northern Crater. Obviously they went there to sacrifice themselves. They all died and fell into the Lifestream. Zack, when you and the woman died did you fall into the Lifestream as well?"

"Yes." he nodded.

"Great! Then that's got to be it. The Lifestream is doing something, it's trying to..." Shelke narrowed her eyes. "Rather...Hojo is trying to continue reunion."

"What!?" the group stared at the girl.

"Hojo had figured out something with the Lifestream and the events that had taken place with Jenova and the clones...and Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth?" Cloud clenched his fists.

"Is it possible for him to have already come back?" Shelke asked.

"I...I don't know. We're not sure if he has or if he will." Tifa shook her head.

"He will." Zack and Cloud stated simultaneously.

"Does he have anything against the young lady that was kidnapped?"

"Well...he killed her." Cloud spoke up.

"Oh, I'd say that's a yes. The only thing I can think of about your friend's abduction is that Jenova is influencing the clones and she wants something from Aeris..." Shelke continued clicking away at the computer. "They come down here sometimes to feed on the bats. I think you should stick around. Red and I will look up some data to try to straighten things out and make sense of all this."

"Thanks Shelke. You've been very helpful so far." Vincent patted her on the shoulder. The girl blushed slightly as she stared at her computer screen. Yuffie glared at the young woman at the desk.

"We've already found out so much more. I think you are correct so far, Shelke." Red XIII jumped onto the chair next to her. It spun slowly.

"We still have lots of files to look at. I'll pull everything I can think of. Hojo, the clones, the Lifestream, Sephiroth and..." She smiled as a new file popped up. "Looks like Hojo had a lot more plans for Aeris as well."

All this quick chatter was confusing the hell out of Zack. He decided it'd just be best to let this little girl and Red figure it out. Still he couldn't help the creeping thought in the back of his mind.

"Hojo isn't alive is he?" Zack questioned.

"That I'm not sure of." Shelke muttered. It wasn't the answer Zack wanted to hear.

"He always finds a way back." Yuffie groaned.

"I'll just send him back to hell all over again!" Vincent growled.

* * *

"What...what do you want!?" Aeris stared at the beasts in front of her. They scrambled and skittered across the floor and walls around her. Their freakish movements gave her the chills. One stopped and stared at her. It had bright white eyes that were glossy, probably the team leader.

"Please let me go..." Aeris pleaded with the monster. It growled at her, a white foam fizzled out the sides of its mouth. "What are you?" She was inside a tunnel dug through rock and metal.

"..." It walked towards her. It's movements were casual, slow, almost normal.

"You...were once humans, weren't you?" Aeris asked it. The creature sat on the floor in front of her. There was a hole in the wall behind it. Aeris had no idea where she was but she did know that they were far beneath the Shinra building. "Hojo did this to you, didn't he?"

'He's probably a commander of some sort, and this is his team.' she eyeballed the scurrying creatures.

"Long time, no see...Aeris." A cool voice called from in front of her. She gasped, staring at the monster before her. It's mouth was closed, but its head tilted from side to side as if scrutinizing her.

"Are, you talking to me?" Aeris asked the monster.

"No, I am." something walked from the dark shadows in the corner of the tunnel.

"Oh!" She covered her mouth. She was not expecting this.

* * *

I think this one is long enough for now. Oh the suspense! Lol. This is not how i planned to end this chapter, oh well. It always changes. Hope you all liked this chapter. I'll post again soon! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry for the delay, folks! Had a visitor last week and have been very busy with a bunch of crap! Anyways, I'm sure a few of you are tired of waiting so I'll just get this new chapter started! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 10**

'Aeris...' Zack rested the back of his head against the wall. He sat in the wheeled chair of the lab. The man slowly closed his eyes. The group awaited the monsters to come out to feed. It had been close to two hours since Aeris was taken. He hated just sitting there, not making an effort to find her.

'I'll get you back, Aeris. Don't you worry.' The man let out a deep breath.

* * *

"Are you alright?" a soft voice interrupted the man's sleep. He opened his eyes slowly, his vision a haze.

"An...angel?" Zack whispered.

"Angel!?" there was a gasp as the the sweet voice exclaimed. "No." the voice giggled. A woman came into clear view. She wore her hair in a braid, it flowed down her back. Her dress was white and blue and showed off her slender shoulders. She had to have been no more than a year or two younger than the man.

"My name is Aeris." She gave him a bright smile. "You fell through the roof. Gave me quite a scare!" She helped the man up.

"My name is Zack." He said as he brushed the dirt from his uniform. "Erm...sorry about the flowers." he frowned at the squished buds. He took a look at his surroundings, glancing at the wooden pews and stained glass windows. He was inside a church.

'Interesting place for a garden.'

"Don't worry about it! The important thing is that you're alright." the young woman named Aeris said.

"At least let me make up for it." Zack grinned.

"What?" her laugh was innocent. Something Zack hadn't seen in a long time.

"How about one date?" he held up a finger.

"Why? That's silly!" She held onto her cheeks, covering her blush.

"No?" he rubbed the back of his head.

"That's not what I meant!" she gasped and turned away from him, giggling again.

'She's cute...' Zack smirked.

He watched the woman sway from side to side, her arms held behind her back. The pink bow in her hair bobbed with each twist of her tiny frame.

'She's _really_ cute.' the man stared.

* * *

Zack awoke with a start. He heard rushed footsteps and someone call out his name.

"They're here!" an alert voice sounded.

Zack jumped to his feet and drew his sword. The underground facility was vibrating from the shrill cries of the 'wandering' clones. The man ran out of the lab and out onto the metal catwalk. He stopped and stared at the creatures, just as all the others had done. The clones were scrambling across the pipes and catwalks, leaping to catch the hundreds of bats that fluttered through the air.

"Zack!" a scream sounded from above. The dark haired man turned his attention to the far rock wall across the platform before him. There was a gaping hole in the wall about ten feet above the walkway. Aeris was leaning over the side waving her arms.

"Aeris!" Zack hollered. The man rushed down the platform.

"Zack! Watch out!" Cloud shouted just as one of the clones dropped down on top of the hurrying man.

"We've got to help him!" Tifa shouted. She ran out onto the platform, swinging her fist at each monster that skittered by.

"Ahh!" Aeris' scream echoed throughout the underground.

Zack's eyes lifted to the woman. A pasty, slick hand was wrapped around her waist holding her above the gap between the wall and the platform. Aeris would drop at least a hundred feet if the creature let her go. The man struggled as the creature on top of him clawed at his back and shoulders. He winced in pain as one of the monster's claws dug deep and was caught beneath his shoulder blade.

"Get off!" Zack rolled to his side, the claw dug deeper.

"Zack!" Cloud shouted as he drove his sword into the monster that clung onto his friend. The monster screeched and tore out its claws from Zack's flesh. He quickly got to his feet and started towards the captive woman.

"Damn!" Cloud dropped to the floor as three of the beasts clawed into him. Alarmed, Zack faced the downed man. "Go!" Cloud waved his hand. His materia glowed with the brilliance of Mako.

"AHH!" Aeris shrieked as she was released. Her body dropped quickly.

'Shit!' Zack cursed. It was either stay and help Cloud and lose Aeris, or go after Aeris and risk Cloud being hurt. 'I think Cloud agrees with me on this one. Gotta get the girl!'

The dark haired man dashed across the platform. With each step he took, the girl dropped another foot. He grit his teeth as he felt a time spell rush over him. He felt himself quicken with each heartbeat. Zack jumped, reaching out as far as he could to the falling woman.

"Reach!" He shouted as he felt his fingertips brush hers.

Time seemed to stop. Everyone's eyes turned to the man and the woman. Zack's fingers grabbed Aeris'. There was an awful 'snap' as her body pulled downward. He grimaced at the woman's yelp in pain. His body slid across the edge of the platform, as she pulled him down with her. Zack yanked one arm upward, his hand gripped her wrist. Then he slid over the edge face first.

The group gasped simultaneously. Cloud fought the beasts he was tangled with. Tifa hung over the railing, trying to find the two falling bodies. One of the clones dug into her side. The woman growled as she pounded her fist into its face.

"I can't see them!" She hollered.

"Damn it!" Cloud crawled across the platform as more of the creatures leapt onto him. He felt the warmth of his own blood drip down his arms and back. A loud cracking sounded in the air, Vincent's rifle no doubt. One by one the clones fell to the floor, dead. The man clawed at the metal platform as he tried to get to his feet. His feet thumped as he reached the side by the rock wall. He dropped to his knees. His chest heaved.

"Thank god for haste..." Zack's voice called up to the blond.

"Zack..." Cloud sighed. "You-"

"Got her." Zack's voice grunted.

The man had an arm wrapped around one of the support beams directly underneath the platform. His other arm was at his side holding onto a frightened Aeris.

"Help us, Cloud!" the woman shouted. Her eyes were wide and stared at the dark abyss below her.

"Yeah." Cloud took a deep breath. He was hoping Jenova's cells would kick in and give him an extra boost of energy. His entire back was soaked with his own red fluid. Dizziness was taking over.

'Damn it...Keep it together, Cloud.' the blond mentally slapped himself. He couldn't get rid of the creeping voice in the back of his mind.

_'You should just let them die. Wasn't things better before they were around? You were living with Tifa, running your little delivery service. You were living 'the life.' _

'What is this?' Cloud shook his head.

"Cloud?" Zack gave a nervous laugh.

_'Then they show up and now look at you. Covered in your own blood, your own weakness!'_

"Hey, buddy? We can use your help right now." the dark haired man felt his blood covered hand slip slightly from the metal beam.

'Stop it!' Cloud grabbed the sides of his head.

_'Actually. When she came back, you were happier than ever. It's just him. He's the cause of your pain, your trouble. You should just save the girl and leave him to die!' _

'There's something wrong...' Aeris whimpered.

'No. I'm not weak! I can beat this.' Cloud grit his teeth.

"Cloud!" Aeris screamed.

"Ugh?" the man shook his head. Zack grunted as his hand slipped further. "I'm coming!" Cloud leapt down onto the beam. It shook violently beneath him. The hanging two screamed.

"Grab her first!" Zack shouted. "Careful, though. I think her fingers are dislocated."

'Damn it. I hurt her.' Zack frowned.

"Aeris." Cloud reached down to her. The woman lifted her free hand. Cloud latched onto her wrist and pulled her up quickly. Zack sighed with relief as the extra weight was lifted from him.

_'Now she's safe. Leave him to die.'_ the voice echoed in Cloud's mind.

'No. I can't do that.' Cloud stared at the other man's hands on the metal beam. Zack began to pull himself up.

_'No! Don't let him. He'll ruin your life all over again! Throw him down! Kill him!_' the voice snarled.

Cloud grabbed Zack's hand. The dark haired man gave him a questioning look.

"What's wrong?" Zack asked as he struggled to get up. Cloud pushed on his shoulder.

"Cloud? What are you doing?" Aeris tugged on the man's arm.

"..." Zack stared at Cloud's blank, icy stare. His eyes were glazed, like the clones.

"Cloud!" Aeris pulled harder. The blond shoved the woman off of him. She fell backwards onto the beam. She shrieked as she slid halfway over the side. Her arms wrapped around the beam. She swung a leg over to regain her balance.

"Sorry, Cloud." Zack groaned as he fought with the blond pushing down upon him. "I like ya and all, but this shit's gotta stop." the man pushed off the beam with one arm, his fist connecting with the blond's face. Zack dropped back down, his chest hitting the top of the beam. He lifted his legs and crawled back onto the beam.

_'You're so weak! Weak, weak, weak...'_ the voice chanted in Cloud's brain.

Zack got to his feet. He raised his fists, ready to fight the younger man. Cloud wiped the blood from his lip. He got into his fighting position.

'No...they'll kill each other!' Aeris got to her feet. She wobbled as she made her way to a vertical beam a few feet away.

'Why does he fall under so easily?' Zack growled.

_'Because he's weak. But you're not. You're stronger than him, you always have been. Why don't you just put him out of his misery? You'd work so much better with him out of the way.' _a lingering voice whispered in Zack's head.

'He does get in the way. He falls for Sephiroth's tricks so easily. He always gets in the way...between...' Zack shook his head. What was he thinking?

_'Gets in the way between you and Aeris._' the voice laughed.

'Aeris...he always tries to take her from me.' Zack glared at the blond before him.

"Stop it!" Aeris stomped her foot. The two men stared at each other. "No! Stop it! Leave them alone! Leave them alone!" she screamed at the hole in the wall. Above she could hear the continuing battle on the platform.

"Zack! Cloud! Stop it! Both of you!" Aeris darted across the beam. She wrapped her arms around the man closest to her, Cloud. "You've got to stop! This isn't you! You and Zack are friends! You always have been!"

Zack gaped at the sight before him. Aeris with her arms around the man he hated more than anything in the world, Cloud. He clenched his fists.

"Is that what you want!? " Zack yelled.

"What?" Aeris lifted her head. 'Oh, no!'

"This make you jealous?" Cloud smirked. "Her touching me?"

"Cloud stop it!" Aeris backed away from the man. "Zack! Listen to me! You are not yourself! Just stop it, don't listen to the voice!"

"Her holding onto me?" Cloud continued.

"Why? Does it make you jealous when she calls out my name? When she sleeps next to me at night?" Zack replied. He smiled at the snarl Cloud gave.

'Why is this happening? Why do they have to do this?' Aeris held onto her fingers. They were beginning to hurt very badly. She stared at the platform ahead.

"Help! Vincent! Tifa!" Aeris yelled. "They'll kill each other!"

"No. There's no way, this puppet could beat me!" Zack laughed.

"I'm not a puppet!" Cloud growled.

"Oh? Then why are you acting like this? Why are you so weak? Maybe you're nothin' special. Just a typical, weak, human boy. You can't handle the pressure. Can't handle the power!" Zack stepped toward the blond man. His blue eyes glowed with malice.

"Oh, Zack..." Aeris whispered. "Don't say those things..."

"How many times have you died? The last time I remember, this is my first life!" Cloud retorted. This hit a nerve in his companion.

"I died protecting your weak, sorry ass!" Zack lunged toward the other man. Aeris screamed as the two men fell onto the beam. It groaned in protest.

"Stop! You'll kill us all!" Aeris held onto the beam standing next to her. She pulled on her fingers, trying to put them back in place. Tears stung her eyes.

The two men got back to their feet. They swung at each other, dodging blows and darting forward and backward. They fought evenly for a moment before Zack hit the younger man onto his side. Cloud slid across the beam, inches away from the woman.

"Ya know what? Why the hell do I even bother?" Zack shrugged. "This is such a waste of time. I can easily end this." the man grinned as he unsheathed his massive weapon from his back. He took a step toward the now crouching man.

"One blow, that's all it would take to finish you. I won't toy with you like the silver haired freak!" Zack wrung his hands over the blade's handle. He raised the blade over his head. His eyes stared into his victim's. A wide grin covered his features.

Aeris stared at the man's position. It was identical to the time Cloud had tried to kill her. She felt her fingers snap back into place with a sickening pop. She cried out in pain. She shook her hand quickly and whispered a cure spell over it.

"Watch this, Aeris." Zack chuckled. He brought his arms downwards toward the blond.

"STOP!" a voice called out.

There was a blur of darkness in front of Aeris. It swooped down and around Cloud. In a split second it had Zack pinned to the ground.

"I'm getting sick of these episodes!" Vincent spat. He held the man down, staring at Zack's glaring eyes.

"Cloud!" Tifa's voice called from above. Cloud shook on the beam. His eyes darted from side to side.

"What the & happened?" he muttered.

"Are you calm, yet?" Vincent had the barrel of his weapon pressed against the underside of Zack's chin.

Zack's eyes fluttered. He groaned as his blurred vision settled.

"Vincent? What the hell are you doing?" Zack's eyes widened.

"The next time either of you go off like that, I'm shooting you in the kneecap." Vincent replied simply before getting off the man. "We've got plenty of things to worry about without you two trying to kill each other."

"We tried to kill each other?" Zack sat up, rubbing the back of his head. It was throbbing worse than any headache he ever had before.

"Yeah..." Aeris nodded. "Tried to stop you, but you wouldn't listen."

"The voices are back..." Cloud stuttered.

"Why the hell am I getting them too?" Zack frowned. "I used to be able to hold them back, what's going on?"

"It would appear that the two of you had been weakened by blood loss, pain, and your emotional state." Shelke leaned over the side of the railing, looking down at the men below. "Read something about it in Hojo's files. Turns out Jenova is more capable of taking over its host when the carrier is in a weakened state of mind or body."

"But...I've always been easy to over-run." Cloud mumbled.

"No offense, but that's cause you're always in a weakened state of mind." Vincent informed.

"That's not true!" Cloud shook his head. He looked up at Tifa. She was frowning. "Is it?"

"I would probably agree with that, Cloud." She answered quietly.

"..." the blond lowered his head.

"It's because you take the weight of everything. Blame yourself for everything. You're continuously a target because you dwell on things too much." Aeris looked down at the man.

"I...do?" Cloud tilted his head.

"Yes!" a simultaneous answer came from the group.

"But...what mental state am I in?" Zack sighed. He rubbed his temples.

"It's because of me." Aeris answered softly. The men stared at her. "You two were fighting because of me."

"We were?" Zack scratched his head.

"It seems that when you are worried about her, you become more unstable mentally. It seems your very emotional." Shelke tapped her cheek.

"I'm not that emotional!" Zack scoffed. He folded his arms.

"You're very emotional." Aeris cleared her throat, trying to choose the best words to say the next thing. "It's why you were...killed."

"Why I was killed? You mean by Sephiroth?" Zack raised an eyebrow.

"You get concerned about everyone else's safety." Aeris nodded.

"I was worried about you!" he defended himself.

"And it made you emotionally unstable." Shelke added. "If you are worried about someone it distracts you."

"That's why Sephiroth is so heartless. Why he can kill and never weaken." Cloud glared at his boots.

"He never had anyone to care about, never needed anything to distract him in battle." Shelke said. "So maybe..."

"If we can find a way to distract him emotionally in battle..." Red XIII smiled.

"We should be able to defeat him!" Tifa cheered.

"But, how?" Yuffie asked.

"That's the other problem." Shelke lowered her head.

'...He needs someone to worry about. Someone to cause him pain, to hurt him, to make him vulnerable.' Aeris thought a moment.

A high pitched shriek sounded in the distance.

"Looks like there are reinforcements. I think we should leave the area immediately." Shelke headed down the walkway.

"I'll take you up first." Vincent wrapped an arm around the woman's waist. He leapt upwards, landing softly on the railing before hopping onto the platform. He turned to the men on the beam below. "Better hurry."

"Coming!" Zack false saluted the dark man above. Vincent sure had an attitude problem.

Aeris and the others ran down the platform. Red trotted next to her, his nostrils flared at an odd scent. He looked up at the woman and snorted. They made their way back into the lab they had previously been. As the group settled into chairs the animal made his way next to the woman.

"Hm?" She looked down at him as he sniffed her. "What?" she turned a little red in the face. The animal brought his gaze to her, alarmed.

"You...you smell like-" the animal was hushed as Aeris leaned in close to his face.

"Shh! Red..." She whispered. "You can't mention a thing to anyone!"

"But, Aeris..." Red started.

"Promise me, Red. It's very important you don't say a thing." Aeris frowned.

"...Ok. But you're explaining things to me later." the animal sat next to her. Aeris ran her fingers through his fiery mane.

"According to my records, Jenova is now deceased. Her final remains were disposed of over two years ago. Which means, the only traces of her are that of which are inside your bodies." Shelke tapped on the keyboard.

"Who's that?" Aeris whispered to Red XIII.

"She's a girl whom helped Vincent during the invasion by the Tsviets. She has lived down here most of her life and was once an experiment of Hojo's."

"An experiment!? But, she's so young!" Aeris gasped.

"She's actually around twenty now."

"Oh..." the woman tilted her head. "And she's stuck in that body?"

"It appears so."

"Poor thing."

"So, Jenova must be fighting incredibly hard in order to take control of your bodies. It appears that as time goes by, she will weaken as the cells die."

"They die?" Zack asked.

"Well...as the host dies."

"Oh." Zack swallowed hard.

"It's why the clones have such short life spans. The cells become unstable." Cloud and Zack gave her a worried look. "I wouldn't worry about it. You two are different."the girl shrugged.

"She may have been given a boost of power, now that the clones are roaming around. It seems their failed efforts were not forgiven." Shelke sighed.

"But it doesn't completely add up." Red added. "We know they failed at reunion and that is why they are roaming around again, to continue their efforts until they get it right, but the question is, are they the same clones from before or are they new clones."

"But if they were new clones, how are they being created?" Tifa asked as she healed a wound on her arm.

"Ya don't think that creepy guy is still around do ya?" Cid picked at his teeth.

"But wasn't he confirmed dead two years ago?" Shelke glanced at Vincent.

"I was sure I had killed him." Vincent shook his head. "But he has been able to place himself within a specimen. Who knows if he'll ever stay dead."

"If they were coming back from the Lifestream, then how?" Yuffie asked.

"I think that's what we need to figure out. They all sacrificed themselves for reunion, but reunion never happened. It doesn't explain Zack and Aeris either. Why were they able to come back and why would Sephiroth as well?" the young girl pulled up a file.

"You know, on a side note. I found out something rather interesting about Sephiroth." the girl keyed in a code to unlock the top secret file. "He hasn't always been under Jenova's control. It seems he didn't begin showing results until he made contact with her. It seems he was emotionally unstable then."

"He sure was." Zack shook his head. "I never saw the man so...crazy. I mean he was usually a bland guy anyways, but once he began reading those files and books in the library he totally locked himself up. He wouldn't talk to anybody, wouldn't even crack a smile at any jokes! No food, no water, nothing! I don't think the guy even slept."

"Then he went on the rampage." Cloud murmured. "Killed everyone, burned everything."

"..." Tifa hung her head.

"Found her body in the damn test tube. And finally cracked." Zack rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's obvious that 'mother' sent him over the edge. The emotional trauma of it all was so great that she had been able to take full control over the man...and has been able to ever since." Shelke clicked her nails on the computer desk.

"He also developed an emotional attachment to her, which still leaves him unstable and willing to be under her control." Red XIII flicked his tail as he thought.

"So, you mean he hasn't been himself at all since he made contact with her?" Barret gawked.

"It would seem so."

"So underneath all that hurt, torture, kill is a nice normal human being?" Cid scoffed.

"Possibly. But he also may be too far gone and there's nothing left of the man known as Sephiroth." Shelke sighed.

'No...I've seen him.' Aeris thought. 'The night in Nibelheim. He had an episode, like Cloud.'

_He flinched at her words. There was something different about him._

'_His eyes…they don't seem so cold.' Aeris was breathing heavily._

"_I…I am…" He let go of Aeris quickly, holding the sides of his head. He stumbled to the floor. "…Sephiroth…I work for Shinra…" He mumbled._

"_Jenova…" Aeris whispered. She finally realized something. Sephiroth looked at her, fear in his eyes._

"_Jenova?" He questioned._

'_Mother?' He scanned his brain. 'Where did she go?' He stood up. He turned to Aeris and grabbed a hold of her shoulders._

"_What have I done?" He asked in a panic. Aeris felt tears in her eyes. His green eyes were so frightened and lost. Aeris lifted a hand to his face._

'_This poor man. He has no idea there's a battle inside of him.' She shook her head. Sephiroth screamed._

"_What are you doing to me?" He backed away from her, hands on his head again. A loud screeching noise sounded within his skull. He shuddered a moment and then turned slowly to Aeris. "What did you do?" He asked her, his eyes cold._

"_Me?" She started._

"_Are you manipulating me?" He shoved her against the wall._

"_No! I, I have no idea what's going on!" She groaned as his grip tightened around her shoulders. He leaned in close._

"_No…mother. Not that." He whispered. "No…not yet! Let me have my fun!" He looked to the side. Aeris shook. He then rolled his gaze back to meet Aeris' shining green eyes. He had an evil grin across his face. Sephiroth was gone, taken by selfish desires._

Aeris shivered at the thought. She had tried to keep those memories in the back of her mind, but after today she just couldn't get them out of her head.

The room shook violently.

"What was that!?" Yuffie struggled to keep her balance.

"Oh no!" Shelke ran to the window of the lab that overlooked the platforms to the lower floors.

"What!? What is it, Shelke?" Vincent loaded his weapon.

"It's not possible! That creature was destroyed years ago!" She gasped.

"_What_ is it, Shelke?" Vincent grabbed the girl's shoulders.

"It's one of Hojo's final experiments. It was made up mostly of Jenova's cells. He planned on using it against Shinra to overrun the company. It failed, however, due to Mako poisoning. The normal cells created from human organs could not withstand the radiation." She shuddered as she lifted her weapon. "This thing will be stronger than Tseviets."

"How can it be alive now!?" Vincent cursed. The group scrambled to the window to get a good view.

"Holy cow! Look at the size of that thang!" Cid fogged the glass when he squished his face against it.

"I, I have no clue! The only possible solution would be reactivating Jenova's cells within it! That means, something that has an abundance of cells is near it, controlling it."She opened the door of the lab. She made her way out onto the platform. The others followed.

"You think it's possible it is the clones?" Red XIII sniffed the air. His eyes widened. "That smell!" he turned to Aeris. She frowned.

"No, the clones do not have a sufficient supply of cells. Whatever it is, it is made up mostly of Jenova cells as well." Shelke turned on her weapon. The saber beams hummed with power.

"Well, the more things with Jenova's cells we kill, the more freedom we get from her damn brain games, right?" Zack drew his weapon. He frowned at the pain in his shoulder from the earlier inflicted wound.

"I say we pulverize it!" Barret aimed his gun-arm down a few floors.

"Just don't pulverize the structure like before!" Yuffie rolled her eyes.

"Aeris stand to the side, make sure everyone is safe!" Zack hollered over his shoulder.

"But I can fight!"

"Just do as he says! We can't afford for you to get taken away by this thing as well!" Cloud shouted.

"...Fine." She said in defeat.

'But it's not coming after me...' She lowered her head, cursing herself, Jenova, Hojo, and Sephiroth for causing so much trouble in this world.

The monster neared the group, tearing up the sides of the walls towards the floor they were on. It had multiple legs like a spider and rippling, bubbling flesh. It appeared to be made up of many animals and human body parts. Its had three faces, one cat-like, another human, and the last appeared to be alien, like Jenova.

"Oh grossness!" Yuffie gagged.

"That thing doesn't look very friendly." Tifa laughed nervously as the beast roared in fury. She watched in disgust at the foam and drool that hung from it's fangs.

"This...is going to get worse." Zack pointed to the far wall with the hole. Clones flowed from the location by the dozen. They dashed to the elevator that brought them underground and snapped the cords.

"Is there another way out of here?" Red asked Shelke.

"Yes, one way, but...I'm afraid it's not very efficient."

"Where is it!?" Yuffie asked impatiently.

Barret opened fire on the monsters. Vincent joined his side hitting the clones in the head to even things out.

"Shoot at the monster, I'll get the clones." He simply stated.

"Shit...Yeah, leave me the big guy!" Barret eyed the giant arachnid-mammal-alien thing.

"Don'cha worry 'bout a thang! I'll be right 'ere by yer side!" Cid put his hands on his hips watching Barret blast at the monster.

"It's through the lab, down the hall and we'll have to take the stairs!" Shelke stabbed a skittering creature next to her.

"Show us the way!" Red XIII backed away from the nearing creatures. It was already a lost battle. They had to retreat.

"Look out!" Tifa screamed as the spider-monster leapt onto the platform.

"Oh no." Shelke gasped.

"Now what?" Zack asked. He brought his boot to the face of one of the clones.

"This is the main supporting platform of this entire structure!" she yelped as the beams began to give out underneath the weight.

"You've got to be kidding me." Cloud said dryly.

"Nope. All the other giant platforms were destroyed in the battle with the Tsviets! This is the last one of its size! If this goes down, so does Shinra!" She swayed as the monster cleared the distance between it and the group.

"It's coming!" Yuffie yelled nervously.

"Retreat!" Vincent shouted. "Go, Shelke! Show them the way out! I'll follow!" the man turned back towards the monster.

It was going too fast. If he didn't slow it down, it would crash through the wall and take out their only way out. Vincent wasn't about to let that happen.

"But, Vincent-!" Shelke started.

"Go! Now!" he growled over his shoulder.

"Come! This way!" Shelke lead the group through the doors.

"You'd better make it out!" Zack shouted.

"Don't worry about a thing..." a low guttural growl sounded from within Vincent.

"Alrighty!" Zack dashed away from the platform.

"Hurry, hurry! Go! This way!" Yuffie waved the group in. She was going to make sure Vincent made it out.

"Come on, Yuffie!" Zack grabbed her hand.

"No! I'm waiting for Vincent!" She shouted.

"Yuffie." Zack stared at her. He leapt off of the stairs and grabbed her. "I'm taking your scrawny ass with me even if I hafta carry you myself!" he lifted her off the ground and dashed up the stairs.

"Vincent!" Yuffie screeched. The last thing she saw was the giant beast's leg impaling the man.

"He'll be fine, Yuffie!" Zack reassured her.

"No...no he won't." She hung her head. Tears stung her eyes.

"When you say things like that, you only make it worse." Zack muttered.

"Let me go...I want to go back. He needs our help." Yuffie sniffled.

"Yuffie..." Zack began. "You know you'll just get in the way."

"Yeah...I know. I always do."

"I didn't mean it like that!" He turned the corner up another flight of stairs. He could hear the rumbling of the platform collapsing.

"..." She ignored the man.

* * *

Vincent was expecting something like this to happen. It was necessary, however. He felt the spiny leg lodge itself into his chest. Crimson covered his stare and splashed onto his enemy. He hoped everyone else had made it out safely and that he had bought them all enough time. Vincent's gaze began to glaze. His gun suddenly felt extremely heavy. He felt it drop from his fingertips and thud onto the floor. He couldn't breath anymore, his lung was ruptured. His blood quickly went from warm to cool. Somewhere far in his mind he heard amused laughter. Was this his curse? Vincent felt the spiny leg twist and turn in his wound. It wasn't painful, just a strange grinding sensation. Like a serrated knife on bone. Vincent smiled. The lights got brighter around him. Vincent thought they should have been getting darker, but maybe he was going to a better place. Maybe he wouldn't make it up those stairs, but at least everyone was safe.

Vincent Valentine's eyes closed softly. He listened to the maniacal laughter invading his brain, then everything exploded into silence.

* * *

Zack had caught up with the others rather quickly. Yuffie flopped in his arms as he darted up the last flight of stairs.

"What the hell happened to the brat?" Cid grumbled as he reached in his pockets. "Too damn lazy to even go up the stairs herself?"

"Shut up, Cid!" Yuffie leapt from Zack's arms and pounced on the pilot.

"Ah! She's gone crazy! She's mad! Get 'er offa me!" Cid flailed his arms.

"Where's Vincent?" Shelke asked.

"He..." Zack took a deep breath. He wanted to avoid everyone's gaze. Vincent never did make it to the stairwell. Zack had seen what happened to him as well and as far as he was concerned, Vincent wasn't alright. "He didn't make it." he breathed out quickly.

"Oh!" Tifa covered her mouth. She turned away from the group.

"Vincent!" Yuffie moaned. She made her way to the now collapsing staircase. She stared down the numerous floors until her sight was ruined by the cloud of dust. The young woman dropped to her knees. "Vincent! Vincent!" she screamed out his name.

"Vincent...Valentine." Shelke let out a shaky breath.

"No. He...couldn't..." Tifa shook her head. Zack walked up to the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Zack?" she looked up at him.

"He...I saw it." He whispered.

"Oh...god! What happened?" Tifa choked.

"He was..." Zack looked to the side. "Tifa, he was impaled."

"Why did we leave him!?" She grabbed Zack's shirt. "Why the hell did we leave him!? What the hell were we thinking!? He's not invincible! He's human! He's not some monster! He can die just as easily as any of us!"

"Tifa. I'm sorry. I should've stayed behind." Zack lowered his head. Even though he saw it happen, he still thought Vincent would make it out alive. Maybe he overestimated the man and his unusual powers.

"I told you! I told you, I told you!" Yuffie went up to the man and hit him in the chest. "You wouldn't let me stay! You had to make me go with you!"

"Yuffie, if he had let you stay you know very well that you would have just ended up the same way." Barret folded his arms. "There I said it."

"I...how can you be so cold!?" She clenched her fists. She made her way to the stairwell. "Vincent!"

"...Are you sure?" Cloud asked.

"I saw it with my own eyes, Yuffie too. Even then, I thought he'd still make it out." Zack lowered his head.

"Red?" Aeris turned her head downward at the animal.

"Do you hear that?" the animal asked.

"..." Everyone listened.

"Back away from the building!" Red pounced to the side. Everyone complied frantically. A low rumble began to sound as the ground vibrated.

"What is that?" Aeris asked.

"I'm not sure. But I can smell something..." Red XIII gave them all worried looks. "Something not human."

"Get ready!" Cloud shouted.

The ground before them burst upwards, exploding into millions of pieces. A flash of fire followed. The flame scorched the sky.

"What the hell is that?" Cid sputtered.

The flame extinguished and was replaced by a giant winged figure. It spiraled downward at an intense speed.

"It's Vincent!" Yuffie jumped up and down. "And...he's gonna crash!"

The demon fell towards the planet. Slowly, it's wings descended back into the man's back.

"Vincent! Wake up!" Yuffie and Tifa ran towards where the man would land.

'Where am I?' Vincent's thoughts exploded in his mind. He opened his eyes to find a quickly approaching ground. 'Not...good...'

"He's gonna die!" Cid cursed.

"What can we do!?" Aeris followed the sprinting women.

'Ok...you helped me out to get this far, don't give up on me now.' Vincent breathed heavily.

"Oh no!" Yuffie covered her eyes as Vincent fell behind a nearby building. There was an explosion of sound from the impact. The town was dead silent. Everyone hurried to the other side of the building.

'Please be alright, please be alright.' Yuffie chanted in her mind.

"Vincent!?" Tifa called out as she turned the corner of the building. She stopped dead in her tracks.

Before her was a fiery demon, his wings spread. The creature turned its attention towards the woman. Its eyes held a sadness to them that Tifa would never imagine something like it to have.

"Thank you." Tifa's voice cracked.

The demon turned a corner of its lip upward before vanishing in a flare of flame. Yuffie joined her side.

"Did...you see that?" She asked.

Giant wings disappeared into Vincent's back . The man groaned in pain as he fell to the ground. The two women ran to his side. Yuffie wrapped her arms around the man. The rest of the group turned the corner.

"Are you alright!? I saw you...you got stabbed." Yuffie sobbed.

She stopped talking once she noticed Vincent's shaking.

"Vincent?" Yuffie looked down at the man in her arms. His dark hair hid his face. He had his hands on his head as he shook.

"..." Tifa bit her lip as she stared at the disturbed man.

"Everytime...a lifetime in hell." Vincent said in a low whisper. He sobbed quietly to himself.

"Vincent..." Yuffie ran a hand over his back. What could you do in this situation? She didn't exactly know what it was like to be overrun by the devil. The man rested his claw on the woman's arm.

"Is he alright?" Aeris held her hands against her chest.

"Would you be?" Cid raised an eyebrow.

"..." Aeris watched the trembling man in Yuffie's arms.

'Vincent. I want to keep you from returning to that hell...' Tifa lowered her head. She figured Yuffie was thinking the same thing.

* * *

A shadow lurked on top of a nearby rooftop. It stared at the group below.

"Remember our deal, Aeris..." a chuckle ran through the air.

Sparkling emerald eyes stared amusingly at the woman with the golden bracelets.

* * *

End of this chapter. Little more excitement in this one. Hope I made some of you nervous! Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing. Telling me what you like, what you'd like to see more of! Like to hear from you all! -annubis


	11. Chapter 11

Hey everyone! Sorry about the delay once again! Had a lot of people over this past weekend and didn't get anything done. Blah excuses right? Well I'm getting on it! Hope you all enjoy this new chapter. Thanks to those who read and review! -Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 11**

"Holy! Get inside!" Reno grabbed the two kid's hands and quickly led them up the stairs to the apartment complex. Thunder growled overhead.

"Ah!" Marlene shivered as the pellets of rain collided with her head.

"Wow! Did you see that flash!?" Denzel stared wide eyed at the dark sky. A split second later another loud burst sounded from the heavens. Marlene whimpered.

"Inside." Reno held the door open. The two hurriedly dashed inside. "It came outta nowhere..." he muttered.

"Is it wet?" Denzel asked the man.

"Naw. It'll be fine." Reno shrugged. The pizza box in his hands was soaked.

"We should hurry. The ice cream might melt." Marlene pointed to the tub in Denzel's hand.

The three quickly made their way to the elevator of the complex. Reno smiled as he passed the number that had once been known as his apartment. The complex was completely obliterated in the meteor incident, but the owner was quick to build at a new location in Edge. Reno received a nice chunk of a raise after dealing with the three clone brothers and now he was able to move to the top floor of the complex.

"You don't think the power will go out?" Denzel asked as the man pressed on the button to go up.

"Ya never know. Power always goes out here." The man shrugged. "They really should get some better backup generators or somethin'."

"Oh no...the dark." Marlene tugged on the man's jacket.

"Don't worry about a thing. The dark isn't all that scary." Reno smirked.

"Maybe we shouldn't take the elevator anymore. We might get stuck." Denzel suggested.

"Stuck!?" the little girl hugged the adult's arm.

"Denzel." Reno rolled his eyes. "Do you enjoy pestering the girl?"

"She needs to not be such a baby." the boy rolled his eyes back at the man.

"I'm not a baby!"

"You are too!" the two exchanged glares and began a battle of sticking out their tongues.

"...And I always wondered why Tifa had such an attitude." the man sighed. The two children began poking each other and continued their bickering. "Yo...Stop it!"

"He started it." Marlene pointed.

"I know he did." Reno nodded.

"Why do you always choose sides!?" Denzel complained.

"Cause you're always a pain in the ass!" Reno shook his head. The elevator sounded, reaching the top floor. "Come on, lets eat."

"Yay! Pizza!" Marlene rushed out into the hall. The boy followed after her.

"Wait for me, yo!" Reno hollered as he reached into his jacket pocket for his keys. He was glad it didn't take much for the kids to forget what they were arguing about, as long as pizza was thrown in, everyone was content.

The three spent the next few hours watching scary movies and snacking away at the pizza and chocolate chunk filled ice cream. Meanwhile, the storm raged on outside.

"That one wasn't as scary as the first." Denzel set his bowl onto the coffee table before him. He groaned and rubbed his stomach.

"Eat too much again?" Reno raised an eyebrow.

"He always eats too much. He's gonna get fat!" Marlene poked the boy in the gut.

"Ugh! Marlene, don't." The boy groaned.

"You throw up, your cleaning it." Reno stood from the couch and gathered the dishes. He stared at the wide window by the kitchen. The sky lit up and blasted an angry noise. The man frowned. How he would love to go to Tifa's bar right now.

"Hey! You didn't get the mail today!" Marlene announced.

"Guess I forgot." Reno leaned against the kitchen counter as he dropped the dishes into the sink.

"I'll get it!" the girl snatched up the man's keys and headed for the door. Reno just did not understand the excitement the little girl had about getting the mail. It's not like she was going to receive anything. The man shrugged, it'd give her something to do. A loud hum sounded as the apartment's lights flickered.

'Shit...' Reno ran for the door.

"Marlene! Don't use the elevator!" Thunder sounded once again, the noise shook the entire building. Reno stuck his head out into the hallway just as the young girl reached the top of the stairs. The entire place went dark. "Marlene! Wait-!"

"Ah!" the girl screamed. The man stumbled to the railing of the stairs, listening to the hard tumbling of the child falling down the staircase.

"Marlene!" Reno darted down the stairs, the lightning being his only light.

"What happened!?" Denzel rushed into the hall.

"Stay up there! Don't come down! Try to find the flashlight or something!" Reno sputtered.

'Damn it, damn it, damn it! Tifa's gonna kill me!' the man crouched onto the floor.

"Marlene? You alright?" He ran his hands over the floor, trying to find her in the dark. His eyes were adjusting.

"Ow..." the girl's voice sounded.

"Ok! Don't panic...everything will be fine." The man's chest was pounding.

'What the hell do I do?' He took a deep breath.

"You hurt?"

"Yeah." The girl began to cry.

"Shit. Ok...Can you move at all?" he was terrified of touching her, afraid he'd make it worse. "Ow!" the waterworks began. The girl grabbed her arm and started screeching like an injured bird.

"Shh! Marlene. You're alright. Nothing we can't fix, alright?" Reno stuck his arms under the girl and lifted. "We're going back upstairs. I'm gonna call to get some help to make sure nothings broken."

"Daddy..." Marlene cried.

'Oh damn...daddy. And I was afraid of Tifa?' Reno wanted to cry himself. This was not good.

"Found one!" Denzel's voice shouted from the hall once again.

"Point it at the stairs!" Reno called out. A bright light flooded into the stairwell. The man made his way up slowly.

"What happened!?" Denzel hollered.

"She fell down the stairs." Reno rushed by the young boy, taking the girl to the couch in the living room.

"What are we gonna do!?" Denzel grabbed the sides of his head.

"I don't know..." Reno ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up at the base of his ponytail. "I gotta call..." the man thought long and hard.

He didn't know any doctors. Nor did he know where any of the new hospitals were. He never cared to look. He also didn't keep his phone books. The only people he ever called were those in his cell phone.

"I can call..." He rushed to his phone. "I know!"

* * *

Elena went through the drawers in her kitchen. She had to have at least matches and some birthday candles. It didn't help that the sun was setting earlier this time of year. The apartment was pitch black.

"Damn storms...This area always has thunderstorms." the woman cursed as her phone began vibrating across the table. She rose to her feet and approached the blinking red light that belonged to her phone.

"Hello..." Elena returned to the drawer in the kitchen. She used the glow from the phone to navigate her drawers. "What!? I...you're talking too fast! What happened!?"

The woman stood quickly.

"Why are you watching them?" she made her way to the front door, putting on her shoes. "You need me to come over now?"

The woman sighed as she stumbled through her apartment looking for her purse. All the while listening to the frantic chatter on her phone.

"What!? Reno! How the hell could you let that happen!?" She snatched her purse up from beside her couch. "Well, is she alright? I mean...she's still alive, right?" the woman rolled her eyes.

"Yeah I'll be there in a minute. Ok...yeah...I'll be careful on the stairs." the woman shut the cover of her phone.

'Reno, how the hell do you get into these messes?' The blonde grabbed her coat and headed out the door.

* * *

"Where is she!?" Reno bit his thumbnail.

"You alright? You look worse than Marlene." Denzel stared at the nervous man next to him.

"I'm fine. I just want to get her to the hospital or something."

"Am I gonna die?" Marlene sniffled. She held onto her arm.

"No!" Reno slapped his forehead. "You'll be fine."

"I thought that woman lived on the top floor as well." Denzel scratched his head.

"She does, but in a different building. This is a big complex." Reno imagined the pain he'd go through after this with Elena, making her go out in a storm like this.

"Reno?" a woman's voice sounded in the hall. The door to the complex was still open.

"Yo!" He called out. A drenched Elena shuffled into the room. She glared at the man, her mascara running. She wiped at her eyes.

"Where is she?" the woman took off her jacket and made her way to the couch. Denzel pointed his light at Marlene. "You okay?" Elena's tone changed to that of a loving mother. She eyed the pizza and ice cream on the table.

"My arm hurts." Marlene sniffed.

"Can I see?" Elena held out her hand. The girl moved her other hand out of the way and tried to move the injured appendage. Elena touched it softly.

"It hurts." Marlene said quickly. Elena sighed deeply and eyed the red headed man.

"Reno...why didn't you take her to the hospital?"

"I don't know where one is."

"How can you not know where the hospital is!?" Elena slapped the man on the arm.

"Ow! I just never thought of it!" Reno folded his arms.

"Well what would you do if you hurt yourself!? Call me!? Call Rude? You won't always be able to get a hold of one of us!" the angry woman hissed. "You should be prepared for things like this, especially when watching children. What if something more serious had happened...like that time when Hojo sent the soldiers to my place!"

Reno cringed at the thought. He was sure Elena wasn't going to make it. He had never been so edgy and nervous in his entire life. He had never seen so much blood in his entire life.

"Ok...Elena. I get it! Just help me out here! Show me where the hospital is and you can go back home."

"Come on." Elena turned away from the man and faced the children. "It's still raining out there. You should get your jackets, it's very cold. My car is parked out front and ready to go. I'll go down the stairs first. Bring that light with you."

Denzel grabbed his coat and slid it on quickly. He pointed the light at the stairs.

"Here." Reno lifted a small, red jacket and placed it on Marlene's shoulders. "Slide in your good arm and hold your coat close so you don't get cold."

"Is it broken?" Marlene asked.

"Are they going to amputate it!?" Denzel asked.

"No!" Reno and Elena yelled at the same time.

"Ok, sweetie. You hold my hand while we go down the stairs." Elena held onto the girl's small hand.

They made their way to the car outside. Marlene sat in the front next to Elena while Denzel and Reno occupied the back.

"Nice car!" Denzel beamed.

"It's better than Reno's." Marlene added.

Elena looked through the rear view mirror glancing at the pouting Reno in the back. She suppressed a giggle.

The car drove slowly through the pouring rain. The windshield wipers could barely clear the view on its highest setting. It would take a while, but Marlene would be in a hospital soon and her arm would be taken care of.

"Reno..." Denzel murmured.

"What?" Reno eyed the boy suspiciously.

"I don't feel good."

* * *

"Anything you want to tell me?" Red XIII approached the woman by the window.

"Like what?" Aeris asked as she braided her hair.

"You know what I'm talking about." the animal sat next to her. She sat on the sill next to the window. Her leg dangled, swinging back and forth.

"...It's nothing to worry about, Red." she sighed.

"I think it is, Aeris." the animal snorted.

"I've been having a hard time lately." she began.

"With what?" he looked at her with his good eye.

"Pretty much everything." her body slumped against the glass.

"...Hm..." the beast thought. "Personal things?"

"Some." she stared at the stars overhead. The plane drifted through the darkening sky.

"Something you want to talk about or no?"

"I'm not sure."

"Anything to do with what I want to talk with you about?" the animal's tail twitched as he felt a poke on the back of his neck. He watched as Aeris giggled and ran her toes through the fur on his back.

"Yeah." Aeris removed her foot.

"I smelt him, Aeris." The animal lifted his paws onto the sill. He looked out into the darkness as well. "What happened?"

"Nothing, really. I'm actually really confused by it." She halfway lied.

"Aeris, you need to tell us. You can't keep this a secret, it's very serious."

"I know, Red. I just...I'm afraid to." she twirled her bangs. "Things wouldn't work right if I did. Besides, he told me not to tell anyone anyways."

"Aeris, you know there's nothing left of that man that could possibly be any good." the beast breathed against the window pane.

"..." she didn't reply.

"What is he planning?"

"He wants me to keep everything a secret. He wants me to do something for him and I cannot tell anyone or else he will back out of our deal."

"Deal!?" the animal gave her a shocking glance.

"I know I shouldn't believe him...but I just cannot take the chance."

"Who's he going to hurt?"

"..." Aeris was alarmed. Red XIII knew exactly what was going on. "He said he'd hurt all of you, of course. I can't be the cause of that. That's why I'm not mentioning anything to anybody and you can't either, Red!"

"Aeris I know you don't want to hurt anyone, but you will most certainly get yourself hurt if you play his game. And you know in the end, he will not hesitate to kill us all anyways." he explained.

"I know!" Aeris covered her face. "What should I do, Red? He's..."

"What, Aeris. You need to tell me! I promise I won't mention anything to the others, but you just cannot keep all this in. You have to tell someone something!" the animal placed a paw on the woman's leg.

"He's going to do terrible things to Zack. And to make sure, he'll get Cloud too." She stuttered.

"What kinds of terrible things?" Red raised an eyebrow.

"I...I can't say. It was too horrible. I can't even think, imagine what he can do. And he said he'd make sure I witnessed every bit of it, along with everyone else and one by one they'd be taken down." she shivered. "And...well, you can guess what he'd do to Tifa and Yuffie before he finally killed them."

"He's sick..." Red growled. His claws dug into the windowsill.

"And he'd keep me alive. So I would see everything, and live through the rest of my life alone, without anyone. He'd make sure he'd haunt me forever and," she paused a moment. "he said he'd stop by to see me every know and then. Whenever he felt like it, to make sure that I always felt pain."

"You don't have to say anymore about that." Red stopped her. He didn't want to hear it. "What do you have to do for him?"

"I...he said I have to do a few certain tasks for him. If I don't do exactly as he says, he'll do something drastic. I don't want anymore people to get hurt, Red." she dropped to the floor and sat next to the animal, hugging him. "If I can have the chance to keep you all safe, the world safe...then I'll do anything. You know that."

"I know. You have already done that for us in the past." Red sighed. "You cannot tell me of these tasks?"

"No. I know that no matter what I say, if I tell you, you won't let me."

"These tasks won't put you in danger?"

"I have to do them. I must. Don't worry about me." She felt herself more composed. "I have a plan."

"A plan?" Red tilted his head.

"Red...I think I just figured out how to get rid of him." she smiled.

"And you're not going to tell me anything?"

"Sorry, it's against the rules! Don't worry, you know a lot more than I was originally going to tell you." the woman stood and made her way to the room she was staying in.

'But I still know nothing about what's going on...' the fiery animal laid onto the ground. He watched the stars pass by over head.

"Grandpa...what is she going to do? What is Sephiroth going to make her do?"

* * *

"She is one lucky little girl." the doctor chuckled.

"Yeah like falling down the stairs is lucky..." Reno scoffed. He was elbowed by Elena.

"So it's not serious then?" Elena asked.

"She'll be fine. Just give her some of these painkillers and within the next week she should be just about back to normal. She'll have to take it easy though." the doctor looked down at the little girl. "No rough housing and don't use that arm for the next couple of weeks just to be sure it heals correctly."

"But...how do I write?" Marlene stared at the braces around her wrist, elbow and shoulder.

"You'll have to be left handed for a while, but it won't be permanent. No broken bones, but a couple of sprains and a slight fracture. Just take it easy. You may want to ice it every once and a while to help keep down the swelling."

"Thank you so much for your help, doctor." Elena shook the man's hand.

"No problem." the doctor looked at the little boy sitting on the table next to Marlene's. "As for him...No more pizza and ice cream. I gave him something to settle his stomach." the doctor eyed Reno.

"..." Reno shuffled uncomfortably.

"I suggest you watch them carefully the next few days." the doctor smirked.

"I'll check up on them everyday." Elena reassured the man.

"Ok. Well, they're free to go." the two children hopped off the tables and made their way to the door.

"Thanks again!" Elena smiled and the group rushed out the door.

"I bet you think I'm a horrible babysitter." Reno scoffed at himself.

"No. What happened with Marlene was an accident. It could have happened to anyone." Her brown eyes met his blue. "As for Denzel, you need to feed those kids some real food."

"I figured that one was coming." Reno scratched an eyebrow.

"How about I come over and make dinner for them? I can teach you how to cook so you don't get sick from all the pizza and beer as well." Elena poked the man's stomach.

"Hey, no poking!" Reno slapped her hand away.

"Was that...?" Elena smirked. "You feel a little soft, Reno."

"Soft!?" Reno grabbed at his stomach.

"You really should cut down on the fast food. Looks like its catching up with you." she giggled as she opened the car doors for the kids.

"Is it really?" Reno whined.

"..." Elena looked at the man out of the corner of her eye, an evil smirk crossed her face. She did not reply.

"Elena!? Am I getting fat!?"

There was no response. The silence was killing him and Elena knew it. The car ride back to the apartments remained in silence, besides Reno's grumbles and mumbles. The rain had let up quite a bit, but sleet had followed, and all power had seemed to return to the buildings in their neighborhood. She glanced at the clock by the car radio. It was getting late. Her eyes fell to the children. They both were sound asleep. She pulled up next to Reno's building and stopped the car.

"What are you doing?" Reno asked.

"Helping you with the kids." She whispered. She opened her door and made her way to Marlene's. She opened the door and gently lifted the small girl. Reno followed her actions and grabbed the boy. He would have easily woken up the brat and made him walk, but he wasn't about to take any chances of him catching his second wind for the night.

Reno and Elena made their way to the elevator. They rode in silence, the only sounds being the soft breaths from the children. Elena smiled and ran her fingers through Marlene's long, dark hair. She eyed Reno. He was staring at her. She felt her cheeks turn a shade of red. Reno cleared his throat, suddenly feeling very awkward. The bell's 'ding' was a sound of salvation as the doors slid open. The adults made their way to Reno's apartment.

"Bedroom?" Elena asked.

"Back here." Reno led the way to the guest room in the back of the apartment down the hall.

They tucked the two kids in snuggly. Reno walked to the thermostat and raised the heat a notch. He turned to look behind him. Elena was crouching by the bed. She gave both children a kiss on the forehead. A big smile crossed her face.

'What is she thinking?' Reno walked out of the room. He made his way to the kitchen. He listened as the lamp in the kid's bedroom 'clicked' off and Elena made her way into the other room.

"They're cute." Elena spoke up.

"Hmm...if you say so." Reno grabbed two glasses from his counter.

"You think they're a handful?" Elena asked.

"Not so much now as I did at first." the man grabbed a bottle from one of the cabinets. It was filled with a copper colored liquid. Elena smirked. "Tell ya the truth, I was scared to hell when she fell down those stairs." he breathed a laugh.

"I can imagine. I probably would have freaked out too." She giggled. Reno handed her a glass.

"You get used to them and then they do something like that. You always gotta be on your guard." Reno chuckled.

"Kids always do keep you on your toes." She sipped from her glass. The liquid was warm down her throat. She smiled. "You think you'd ever have any kids?"

"After that shit, hell no." Reno shook his head. "I'd be a horrible father!"

"You're not horrible." Elena laughed. "You've never watched kids before, have you?"

"Nope."

"You just need practice. I bet when Tifa gets back, you won't want to see them leave."

"Yeah, who wouldn't want to go back to eating pizza, drinking beer, and watching TV in your own privacy without having to worry about running to the hospital late at night cause of some freak accident?"

"You're horrible!" Elena laughed.

"See, I told ya." A comfortable silence fell between the two. Elena walked to the window. She shivered and took a big gulp of her drink.

"Keeps ya warm." Reno held up the glass.

"It does." She smiled. Her mind drifted somewhere else. She thought of other things that would be better than a drink to stay warm. "Well...I better be going, Reno. I'm sure you have a long day with the kids!"

"Said they wanted to go to the zoo, but it's been so cold lately, I don't think it'd be a good idea." Reno leaned against the counter. Elena was staring at him. "What?"

"You like to act like you don't care." She smirked and filled up her glass with more of the liquid. Reno raised an eyebrow. Elena was a total light weight when it came to alcohol and she was already going for her second glass. Usually the first got her into what Reno would call 'thinking' mode. It would sometimes put her in weird moods or begin odd conversations.

"I don't." he played along.

"You care about them. If you didn't you wouldn't even think about taking them to the zoo, spoiling them with ice cream and pizza, and worry so much when they got hurt."

"I was worried about what Tifa would say." Reno retorted.

"Sure." Elena giggled. "You're just a big ol' softy!" She poked his belly and laughed at the double meaning.

"Yo! I'm not soft...emotionally or physically." he grumbled.

"You're very soft, aren't you?" Elena leaned in very close.

"Um..." Reno cleared his throat as Elena poked his belly again.

She loved teasing him. She knew it drove Reno crazy, picking on him about his physical looks. For a man that dressed messy, he cared deeply about the way his body looked. Her finger poked his stomach again, she felt the muscle underneath his shirt. She laughed at the way his face contorted.

"Don't get me started..." Reno poked the side of Elena's thigh.

"Oh!" She grabbed the sides of her legs. "What!?"

"You know." Reno chuckled.

"Are...oh my god! I am getting fat!" Elena stared at her thighs. Her fore-shortened view made the sight ever worse.

"I was jes' kiddin' Elena." Reno watched as she stared at her reflection in the window. She poked her sides, hips, stomach, thighs, and then finally backside.

"My goodness..." She gawked as she stuck out her butt.

"Elena...stop." Reno rolled his eyes.

"Oh...look. I'm huge." She took another drink and set the glass on the table.

'What in the world is she doing now?' the red head stared in wonder as the woman tugged her dress shirt from her pants and lifted it to show her bare belly. She poked herself and sniffled.

"Oh boy. Elena. You look fine!" He grabbed her hands and pulled her shirt down. She needed to stop that immediately.

"You said I was fat!" Elena whimpered and downed the rest of her drink.

"I was just kidding and, besides, I didn't say you were fat. I just poked you."

"I guess we both are getting old, aren't we? Getting old and fat."

'Here we go. She found her mood and conversation.' Reno smirked at how goofy she could be after a few drinks.

"Oh! Where has the time gone? Not married yet, no children, and now my metabolism has died." She held a hand to her forehead. "And I think I found a gray hair the other day!"

"Elena. You're being ridiculous! You're still in your twenties!"

"We're pushing thirty!"

"You worry too much, we're not that old...holy crap! I'm almost thirty!" the two groaned at the thought of in a few to a couple of years they would be 'old'. "You're younger than me! What do you have to worry about?"

"I'm not that much younger! Only...a year or two. How old are you anyway!?" Elena giggled.

"...I don't know." Reno gasped. "What year is it!?"

"Stop, you...dork." Elena rolled her eyes.

"Weren't you in high school when you joined?" Reno asked.

"Hm. Yeah that was a long time ago." Elena smiled. "My sister had joined and I was so aggravated."

"Why is that?" Reno sat on a chair by the woman.

"Just...her and everyone in her group. They would always pick on me about not being strong enough. They always acted like they were better than me." Elena lowered their head.

"Yeah but you showed them, right? You got in there and now look at ya. You're working with the president basically every day."

"...I suppose. But, maybe they were right." she sipped from her glass. "Maybe I shouldn't be a Turk. Maybe I really am not strong enough."

"What do you mean?" Reno rested an elbow on the table.

"I was only allowed in when you got hurt after battling AVALANCHE. After that, I couldn't save Tseng, was shot up by Hojo's soldiers, was captured by Kadaj, and...well who knows what I'll screw up next."

"Elena..." Reno tilted his head. "You are strong. You've lasted this long without getting killed. Thats a plus. Many people can't last this long. The thing with Tseng was unavoidable. You know that. It was all Sephiroth's fault."

"Maybe I just feel like I'm not as successful as I thought I'd be."

"What? You're very successful. You have a great apartment, car, well paying job..." Reno thought a moment. He hesitated. "And you have Ts-."

"But...after seeing those kids today, made me think. I'm not married and I don't have children. Who knows if I ever really will have any of those. Being a Turk kinda keeps you from all that, doesn't it?" Elena thought a moment. "What a horrible job to have when you have children."

"...It's not that bad anymore. Shinra is a lot better now. It's not so... evil." Reno took a big drink.

"I know." Elena stood. The man followed her actions. They met each other's stare. "I always get wound up after drinking that stuff, Reno. You know that." She smiled.

"It's alright." he shrugged. They stared a moment before Elena turned her gaze away. "Oh...it's snowing."

"Huh?" He turned his head to the window. "It is."

The tiny white flakes danced in the air over the city.

"Looks like no zoo tomorrow, huh?" Elena giggled. "Well, I better be off. I have work in the morning. I'll be off by five. I'll come over afterwards to cook dinner."

"You don't have to do that Elena."

"No?" Elena walked to the door. She slid her jacket over her arms. "I think it'd be best for everyone if I did. Who knows what you'd feed them for dinner."

"I'm not that irresponsible."

"I'll teach you to cook. It'll be fun." Elena poked the man in the gut before opening the door and venturing out into the hall. "See you tomorrow, Reno."

"Later." He shut the door behind the woman.

'She's a handful sometimes.' Reno let out a breath.

* * *

Aeris wandered around the plane. Her thoughts were interrupting her chances of sleep. There was nothing she could do to keep her mind blank. She was nearing Kadaj's room. She noticed the light was on. She held her ear against the metal door, listening. There was no sound. She brought her hand to the doorknob and turned it slowly, cracking the door open. She smiled at the sight before her.

'That's cute.'

Kadaj lay on his back, sprawled across the bed. He was breathing heavily in his deep sleep, his mouth gaped open. His chest heaved up and down with each breath, the cat laying upon him purred quietly.

'I wonder if it's a good idea to keep him locked up in this plane all day and night?' Aeris shut off the light in the room. She stared a moment longer at the snoozing two.

'Maybe I'll tell Cait to take him outside tomorrow, get him some fresh air.'

The woman shut the door quietly and made her way back towards her room. She felt her heart drop as she passed the next room. It was Zack's room. She had refused to be in the same room with him and had acted rather cold about it. She frowned. Maybe that's why she couldn't sleep.

'I have to. I need to keep everyone safe.' Aeris pushed away her sadness. 'Speaking of that. Maybe I...'

"I can't...It would be so hard..." Aeris lowered her head and turned away from the man's closed door. She heard a soft click behind her. She quickly spun back around to find the door of Zack's bedroom open and the man's face staring at her.

"Thought I heard something..." He mumbled sleepily. His glowing blue eyes blinked slowly. "You alright?"

'Why does he always have to be so damned nice to me!?' Aeris bit her lip.

"I'm fine." She said quickly and turned to walk away. Her long braid swirled with the twist of her hips.

"Wait." he grabbed her wrist. "What did I do?" he looked at her with his sleepy blue eyes. His dark hair was messy.

"...Nothing." Aeris said in an icy tone and tugged her hand out of his.

"Aeris." He squint his eyes. "Why don't you talk to me for a bit? You've been very distant lately, especially today. Is this about Cloud and me fighting? You know I couldn't help that-."

"No. It has nothing to do with that." Aeris thought a moment. She took a deep breath, wringing her hands.

"Than what is it? You can tell me anything." Zack gave her a reassuring smile.

'Why does he have to be so damn cute?' Aeris felt her eyes burning.

"Fine." she began. How was she going to pull this off? "Zack..."

There was a long silence. It was beginning to make Zack nervous. Maybe it really did have nothing to do with the fight, maybe it had nothing to do with any of the events from today. What if it actually had to do with the two of them? Zack glanced at her wrists. She wasn't wearing her golden bracelets; he swallowed hard.

"Zack, I think we should take a break." she said quickly.

"...What?" He asked quietly. Aeris turned her head away. The look on his face was awful. "Wait...what do you mean by 'break'?" he stumbled out of his room and grabbed her shoulders.

"Zack, I just don't love you anymore!" she shoved him away. "Just leave me alone!" the woman turned quickly, tears streaming down her face.

"A, Aeris...?" Zack stuttered. His voice didn't work anymore. He heard the door of her room slam shut.

'What...what just happened?' the man leaned against the wall for support.

"She...she doesn't love me?" Zack took in a ragged breath. His hand clutched at his chest.

"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" a muffled sound came from Aeris' room, another stab at Zack's heart.

* * *

"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" Aeris plopped onto her bed.

'I hate you so much, Sephiroth! How can this help you any? You're just toying with us!' Aeris screamed into her pillow.

"I hate you, Sephiroth! I hope you die the worst death imaginable." Aeris sobbed into her pillow.

* * *

"Hey." Cloud muttered as he sipped his cup of steaming coffee.

"...Hey..." Zack said almost inaudibly.

"What's wrong?" the blond tilted his head. His spikes swayed to the side.

"Nothing." Zack cleared his throat. "You see Aeris today?"

"Nope, why?" the blond set his cup onto the table.

"...Just wanted to talk to her about something."

"You don't look so good. You sick or something?"

"Yeah, I guess." Zack laid his head on the table. "Didn't sleep well last night." he said in a low tone.

"Hm. Looks like it." Cloud raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Where are we?" Zack sat up in the chair.

"City of the Ancients. Cid told me that Aeris had told him to come here last night. I figure it may have something to do with her getting back her materia. Strange that she didn't mention it to anybody before making the decision." he stirred the thin red straw in his paper cup.

"Yeah, she's been making a lot of strange decisions lately." Zack muttered irritably.

"You and her get into a fight or something?" Cloud asked. The question seemed awkward between the two of them.

"Naw, doesn't matter." Zack stood. "When are we leaving?"

"Right now, actually." Cloud glanced at the large clock on the wall. "Ready to head out?"

"Yeah. Let me get my sword." the dark haired man shoved away from the table and headed for the weaponry room.

'In the entire time I've known Zack, I've never seen him this...weird.' Cloud followed his friend.

"You sure every thing's fine Zack? I mean, usually you're so much more...uh, bubbly."

"Bubbly?" Zack looked over his shoulder.

"Bad word to use?" Cloud smirked. "Even when you're not feeling well you're more of the 'look on the bright side' kinda guy."

"Yeah well today, there is no bright side." Zack frowned. "Let's go get this over with."

"Sounds good to me." Cloud followed the man. "You've gotta stop this."

"Just drop it." Zack mumbled.

"No...we can't have two people acting like this! You're cramping my style." Cloud chuckled.

"Maybe we'll switch roles for today. I'll be the depressed asshole and you can be the cheery guy who always makes others feel better." Zack smirked at the glare he received.

"...Ok." the blond nodded.

The two men headed for the main cabin. Zack paused by the window. Aeris was outside, along with Kadaj and Cait Sith. They were running around like children playing tag. He watched the woman run in circles, giggling and twirling to get away from the silver haired man. His heart was beating fast. Kadaj wrapped his arms around her. The two stumbled and fell to the ground. Cait Sith pounced on top of the pile. Zack growled as he clenched his fists and glared outside.

"Woah...someone's cranky today." Yuffie backed away from the man she was about to start a conversation with.

"Shut it." Zack poked the girl's forehead.

"Jerk." Yuffie rubbed her forehead.

Cloud stared out the window as he talked to Cid. He had seen the same events as Zack. There had to have been something going on between Zack and Aeris.

"Get yer stuff. We're headin' out!" Cid shouted. He grabbed the intercom and yelled the same orders to those who were outside.

Zack stared outside again as Aeris picked up her staff and re-wrapped the scarf around her neck. The ground was covered in snow. The City was glowing with a starry night brilliance. The woman skipped up to Kadaj. She held a delicate hand up to her lips as she giggled and conversed with the clone. Kadaj stared at the plane with sadness and looked back at Aeris; he pointed at her. Aeris placed a hand on the man's shoulder.

'She's more physical with him than she's been with me in weeks.'

Zack looked to the side a moment. He gaped at the new scene before him. Aeris hugged the man with silver hair and slowly led him to the plane.

"That's is..." Zack growled.

"Bye!" Kadaj waved. Everyone had left the plane but Zack and now it was just the two of them. The young man turned and found himself face to face with Zack. He stumbled backwards.

"Stay away from her!" Zack glared. "I know you're up to something." he pushed his way past the clone.

"I..." Kadaj stammered.

"Leave her alone. You're only going to cause her trouble." Zack slammed the door behind himself.

'Looks like someone's jealous, mother.' Kadaj smiled.

* * *

"'Kay. Now this here do-hickey will dive into that there water an' I can control 'er with this." Cid held up a remote. "Jes' like a toy. Ya push this switch here and the screen turns on. An' then you push this one an' it'll navigate it's way to whatever it is yer searchin' for. Finally, push this lil' butt'n here an' the arm comes out. This can be used to pick up things, like yer materia." Cid demonstrated the functions of the remote controlled submarine.

"Nice lil' contraption you got 'ere." Yuffie drawled.

"It's perfect Cid, thank you." Aeris smiled.

"Ya wan' me to control it?" Cid smirked.

"Sure, Cid. It's your machine." Aeris grinned.

"Awright! Getting' started!" Cid dropped the machine into the water and began working the controls. "Heh, jes' like the real thang!"

Zack and Cloud leaned against one of the many pillars surrounding the platform in the center of the city, where Aeris had been murdered. They both sighed and rested their heads back.

"What's with them?" Tifa nudged the ninja girl next to her.

"Beats me. I mean, Cloud's always like that, but Zack...who knows."

"Those boys sure have been brats lately." Tifa folded her arms.

"Hey! That wasn't so bad!" Cid cheered.

"You got it!?" Aeris hopped up and down.

"Sure did!" Cid reached into the water and pulled out the toy sub's arm. He snatched the green orb from it's mechanical fingers and dropped it into Aeris' palm.

"Thank you, Cid!" Aeris cheered and wrapped her arms around the man's neck.

"Aw, jeez. Wasn't nuthin'." Cid blushed slightly. "Hey! What's that!?" the man dropped to his hands and knees, staring at the screen on the remote.

"What do you see?" Red padded towards the man.

"Looks like some type of tunnels 'er sumthin'." Cid squint his eyes.

"Tunnels?" Aeris asked hopefully.

"You know something about this?" Vincent asked the woman. He shared a thoughtful glance with Shelke. The young girl had decided to join the others on their journey in hopes of finding more data.

"Um, no! I...I'm just curious, is all. Is there a way to get to them, Cid?" Aeris stared at the water. Red XIII gave her a curious look.

"Beats me, I'll go take a look." He snatched the controller up and began navigating the sub into the tunnels. "Seems like that far wall over there is where those tunnels are sprouting from. Perhaps if we can make a hole there we can drop into 'em and check 'em out."

"Why would we want to check them out?" Yuffie shivered. "They've gotta be filled with spiders! Grossness!"

"I think we should." Aeris said quickly. "I mean, there may be more information in there, like what Bugenhagen found." she turned to Red.

"Grandpa..." Red thought a moment. Aeris was giving him a hopeful look. "I agree. I think we should take a look." he had received the hint. Cloud and Zack exchanged a strange look.

"I have read something in Hojo's files about there being a missing text of some kind hidden within the bowels of the city. Perhaps this is what he meant." Shelke thought aloud.

"Le's do it." Barret shrugged. "Maybe there's some treasure or sumthin'."

"Doubt that one, Barret, but it would be cool." Yuffie patted the man on the back.

"Let's jes' put a piece of dynamite 'ere an' we'll blast us a lil hole." Cid lit the fuse of the stick in his hand.

"Holy! Cid! Warn us a little sooner!" the group darted to safety as Cid chucked the explosive against the wall. A loud blast sounded. It echoed for an eternity, vibrating eardrums and the structure of the building.

"Hope you didn't ruin anything we haven't explored yet." Yuffie grumped.

"Eh, it'll be fine." Cid shrugged. "Lets go!"

'Tunnels...around the center of the city.' Aeris bit her lower lip. 'Just like he said...'

* * *

Ok, thats the end of this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it! Anything you want to see more of just let me know! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	12. Chapter 12

Hey! Started classes again today. Have a character design class. Its gonna be awesome! Coming up with stories and images for the characters! Keep me in the creative mood. Well I've been trying to come up with more ideas to keep this story rolling, exciting and full of romance. Today will be a set up for future romance/drama! Love can be so frustrating, can't it? Thanks to the reviewers for their support, you keep me going! Well it's getting late and I want to post this up in time for people to begin reading! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 12 **

A dark, endless, abyss. That's what was contained behind the walls of the inner city; winding tunnels that curved into mazes, broken paths, dead silence and caverns that dropped for miles.

Aeris shivered at the darkness before her. It was too similar to the clones who had previously abducted her. Who knew what was lurking in the shadows. Well, she had an idea, but it wasn't something she had wanted to think about.

"This is very interesting." Shelke said as she popped her small head through the hole. "I would love to go with you, but I think I would benefit you all more if I went back to the ship."

"Go back?" Tifa asked.

"The computers. I can connect to the computers in Cid's ship and try to hack into the old Shinra files. Then I can find out more about Hojo's final research." the girl turned to Vincent.

"You think there's anything in these tunnels?" the dark man questioned.

"I'm almost certain. I could have sworn there was something about an ancient text of some sort. Maybe I can find the location." with that said, the very young looking woman turned and headed up the spiraling, glass stairs. "Keep your PHS nearby. I will call in if I find anything useful." she tapped the side of her head and continued her ascent.

"Well what're we waitin' for!? Let's git!" Cid drawled. The man turned to the tunnel and tightened his grip on his spear. There was without a doubt in the pilot's mind that all dark places contained some form of evil within it.

"You think there's any materia in there!?" Yuffie skipped after the man.

"If there is, it's mine!" Cid spat.

"Not if I can help it!" the girl argued.

The group followed one after another into the dark tunnels. The path was very narrow, the edges rigid and covered in loose sand. Aeris looked to the side, the path was suspended in the air by thin pillars. If anyone were to fall over the side, they would find themselves dropping quite a ways before finding a new ground. Navigating through the tunnels was going to be quite difficult.

* * *

"Ye back already?" Cait Sith followed Shelke into the back of the ship.

"I've come to gather data." she simply stated.

"What kind of data?" Kadaj asked. He watched the girl curiously as she slid into the blue leather chair. Her small hands grabbed the sides of a rather large helmet.

"Data on the City of the Ancients and the tunnels within it." the girl lifted the mechanical device and slid it over her head. The thick cord in the back thumped against the side of the chair. She pressed a button on the side of the device. The head gear hummed as a blue light beamed across the top. Mechanical beeping and ticking sang as she began navigating the mainframe.

"Cait Sith, Please make sure nothing happens to the connection. I'm going to try hacking into Hojo's files. It can be quite difficult. If I get disconnected while still activating the mainframe through my mind, it can cause some...problems." the girl informed the robotic animal.

"Aye." the cat nodded. He turned to Kadaj. "Why don't you an' I go back upstairs to play another game?"

"Ok." Kadaj nodded slowly. He stared at the girl before him, not sure what to make of her and the mechanical devices she wore. "Can we go back outside later? I want to make...a snowman. Is that what it was called?"

"A snowman?" Cait Sith smirked. "Did Aeris tell you about this?"

"Yeah! I think it sounds interesting to make a man out of snow." Kadaj grinned. He stared at his hands. "To be made of snow. It doesn't sound like something very strong, but perhaps a man of snow would have some interesting powers."

"Powers!?" Cait Sith scratched his ear.

"I want to make the strongest snowman of them all!" Kadaj raised his fists in the air. He was made of Jenova's cells. Perhaps being made of snow would have it's benefits as well.

"You have a lot to learn, Kadaj..." the cat purred. The feline trotted out of the room, Kadaj followed slowly. He looked back at Shelke once more before closing the door behind him.

'Is she supposed to be doing things like that? I get the feeling mother wouldn't like it.' Kadaj thought carefully. It was hard to tell the difference between the voices in his head. For all he knew he wasn't listening to mother, but she said she was. The young man shook his head, but every time 'mother' spoke to him, it gave him a strange feeling. It wasn't the same feeling he got when he was with Aeris. He shivered as soft whispers began to call within the back of his mind.

LINE

"I wish there were some lights in here." Yuffie scoffed.

"I'm tryin'. Shut yer trap." Cid muttered as his flicked his cigarette lighter repeatedly. "Damn piece-!" the man fell.

"Cid!"

"I'm alright. Seems there are some cracks forming along the path. I don't think there should be so much weight on 'ere all at once." the man clicked the lighter once more, revealing a broken and frail walkway.

"We should cross individually." Vincent suggested.

"I'm not going first!" Yuffie scampered around Cid.

"Should send you in first. Then if there are any monsters they'll jes' get you an we won't hafta worry about a thing and jes' get outta here." Barret snorted.

"Hey!" Yuffie smacked her hands against her hips.

"I'll go first." Vincent opened his cell phone. The light gleamed in the darkness.

'Why didn't anyone bring flashlights?' Vincent rolled his eyes.

"I'll stick by Red." Zack patted the animal on the back. "He's pretty damn efficient in the dark." he lifted and held onto the animal's tail. The small flame flickered in the darkness.

"Don't do that." Red growled. His tail dropped quickly.

Vincent walked slowly across the path. His blue light flashed against the rocky surface surrounding the pit of darkness. It reminded him of his tomb he had slept in for too many years. He stopped abruptly as the light dissipated; the sleep function activated. He was engulfed in pitch blackness. He closed the phone, looking before him in annoyance. His thumb flicked it back open, light emitted into the darkness once again, but the sight was quite different. Vincent saw no rocks, no path, just two beady red eyes glaring back at him. Despite the cool demure of the man, the sight scared the hell out of him. Giant wings spread and wrapped around the man. In a flash Vincent was gone, along with the brilliant blue light.

"Vincent!" Yuffie called out.

"What the & was that!?" Barret raised his gun arm.

"Where is he!?" Tifa stared into the darkness around her. It bothered her not being able to see her enemies. The darkness was just too similar to the times she was in a coma.

Loud bursts of gunfire echoed within the tunnels. Bright flashes of light engulfed the darkness every split second. The group blindly watched in horror. Even if Vincent killed the creature, he'd fall with it into the dark pits below the pathway. A chime emitted, ringing out in the blackness.

"Vincent's phone." Tifa said to no one in particular. Shelke must have found out something useful.

'Damn it." Vincent mentally cursed. He shot again at the beast clinging onto his shoulders. His other hand flipped open the phone.

"Shelke, can't talk now. Fighting. Call Cloud." Vincent replied. The bright light made the creature growl angrily.

Cloud's phone sounded a moment later. He flipped it open quickly.

"Shelke?" he asked.

_"Cloud. There's a lighting system along the ceiling. It reacts to fire spells, the Ancients relied on magic for basically everything. Try sending some flames up towards the ceiling, see if anything happens." _

"Ok." Cloud closed his phone and grabbed his arm. He slowly closed his eyes, thinking about the energy within the bangle on his wrist. He felt the warm tingling sensation of a level three spell. A smell which reminded him of campfires invaded his nose. He raised his arm into the air, concentrating on the target.

'This had better work.' Cloud released the energy.

A blast of light rushed into the air. It sparked and crackled and flew into the black sky. The group watched as the ball of fire flew past Vincent and his predator and slowly dissipated from view.

'How big is this place!?' Cloud gaped.

"Um...Cloud, you missed." Yuffie gave the man a confused look.

"I wasn't aiming for the monster." he frowned.

A second later a loud explosion of sound invaded the quiet tunnel. A blinding light burst across the sky. Everyone shielded their eyes as fire etched it's way across the top of the cavern.

"A lighting system." Aeris whispered. She watched the intricate designs of light wind its way across the far away ceiling. Light beamed in all directions. A dim orange glow ate away the darkness.

"There he is!" Yuffie pointed. The group watched as the winged creature spiraled downward with Vincent in its grasp. "He killed it!"

"Vincent! You're going to fall!" Tifa hollered.

The man's head turned downward at the woman's warning. He pushed against the animal, kicking away. Vincent flipped and glided across the air towards the platform. He landed softly, skidding near the edge. He dug his claw into the dirt. The man stared at his surroundings. The ceiling was hundreds of feet overhead. Tiny flames decorated the surface. He looked down below. He could see numerous paths below the walkway they currently were on, each further than the other and surrounded by darkness. They all had to be connected in some way.

"You awright?" Barret thudded across the platform. "You kill it?"

"I'm no sure." Vincent replied.

"Not sure if yer alright or if you killed it?" Cid sarcastically scoffed.

"If I killed it." Vincent stood.

"At least we can see our enemies now." Tifa wrapped her arms around herself. It certainly was cold in these tunnels.

"I suggest we continue moving forward." Vincent turned on his heel and continued down the path into the tunnel. A shrill shriek screeched from within the darker hall.

"What was that?" Yuffie shivered.

"I think we have more company." Zack unsheathed his massive sword.

Red XIII narrowed his eyes.

"There's a twist to the left and another to the right. The tunnel splits. We can split into two groups and head both ways, I'm sure we will meet up on the other side. If not, we should be able to see each other at some point." His ears twitched. He took a couple steps forward. "The pressure up ahead changes again. There should be more open space, most likely more walkways."

"Split up?" Tifa asked.

"In only two groups. That way the groups aren't too small and everyone will be able to keep safe." Red nodded.

Tifa, Cid, Cloud, Yuffie, and Barret took the left path. Zack, Vincent, Aeris and Red XIII took the right. Vincent and Cloud could keep in touch through their PHS.

"If we don't meet up again in ten minutes, make sure you make a call to see where the other party is at." Red had suggested.

The two groups made their way down their separate paths. Quiet screeches and chatters echoed against the walls.

"What happens if one group comes to a dead end?" Tifa asked.

"Then the others wait for them to backtrack and meet back up." Cloud tilted his head.

"And if it splits again?" Cid asked.

"Would it be wise to split up again?" Tifa interrupted.

"If we separate, our numbers will get smaller and I don't like that idea." Yuffie shook her head.

"How 'bout if we reach another split we all continue until we find another open space or walkway. Then another person can go back and see if that other tunnel leads to the same area."

"Sounds risky." Tifa sighed.

"We do have to cover a lot of ground. I'll be the one to back track." Cloud volunteered.

"Yeah...cause you so bad ass." Barret rolled his eyes.

"I'll rely on him before I'd rely on you." Cid retorted.

"Wha's that supposed to mean!?" Barret raised a fist.

Tifa's group continued their arguing. She smiled softly at the sounds around her. It was almost nostalgic hearing everyone's voice again, even if it was bickering. She just wished it was under better circumstances, like a party of some sort rather than a life-risking adventure. They ventured for a few minutes before coming to a fork in the road.

"Damn." Barret cursed.

"Let's keep heading forward. We'll find the clearing Red was talking about and then I'll head back and see if the other leads to the open as well." Cloud mumbled in a monotone voice. He reached into his pocket as his phone began sounding a small chime.

"Vincent?" Cloud asked. "Already? That was quick..."

"Red's nose led us straight to the walkways. You should be very close if you're at a split. We just sent Zack down the other tunnel to see if it meets at the same spot. I suggest you do the same. Then we can cover more ground. Red is certain that all these tunnels will meet back up. If not, we can always back track, though that does take more time." Vincent continued with the ordeal while Cloud listened intently.

Aeris sat on the ground, waiting for the others to show up. She stared at the new brown boots Tifa had bought for her. They were covered in dirt. The woman frowned.

"What's the matter?" Red plopped onto the ground next to the woman. "Why are we here?"

"Hm?" She looked up to meet the gaze of the fiery animal. "He told me to come here." she whispered.

"What is it he wants?" Red XIII glanced at the green materia placed in the woman's half ponytail.

"I'm not entirely sure. He was very vague. Just told me to come here and to bring the materia..." She sighed. Why was she telling red all of this? Wouldn't it only cause trouble?

"I think you should give someone else the materia. We'll say we never found it." Red halfway barked.

"He's not stupid. It'll only cause problems if I allow things like that to happen." the woman shook her head. It ached badly.

"Just don't get yourself hurt again, Aeris. You know its the last thing we need."

"I know." the woman slowly stood. Vincent had hung up his phone.

"When is he-?" Red began but was hushed when Aeris scratched his head.

"Cloud and the others are near the same location. Cloud has backtracked to the splitting tunnel." Vincent informed.

"Is it a good idea to let those two split up?" Aeris asked.

"Zack and Cloud are strong enough to handle things themselves. They were the best solution." the crimson eyed man stared at the walkway about twenty feet away.

"What if..." Aeris began but decided not to finish her statement. Red snorted at her.

'What if he shows up and causes trouble with those two?' the woman twirled her hair.

"It's good to keep them separated." Vincent stated. Red and Aeris gave him a questionable look. "Then they won't be able to fight with each other."

"Oh." Aeris bit her lip. 'We can't trust anyone right now...' she didn't know for sure what that thought meant, but she was thinking it. That evil man was good at fooling anyone, and if he wanted her to be here he would without a doubt in her mind make an appearance. She thought of the conversation she had with the man the other day.

_"But why?" Aeris shook her head quickly. It didn't make any sense. _

_"It'll leave him vulnerable, just what I need." the man grinned. _

_"Vulnerable? You're just going to kill him again!" the woman yelled. The man rubbed his temples._

_"Why must you be so hard to convince? What does it matter to you if he gets hurt anyway?" _

_"Because I love him!" she screeched. _

_"Do you?" the man chuckled. His green eyes were delighted by that response. "But what about the other one? I thought you loved him." _

_"You just enjoy seeing others suffer, you can't make me do it." _

_"But I can! You see...I am quite capable of handling things myself, it's just way too bothersome. I think that it would make the game much more fascinating if you were involved. Don't you want to be a part of it all?" The man ran his fingers through his hair. _

_"Not a part of your plan." she hissed. _

_"Pity. I guess I can kill you now." The man grabbed at her throat. She backed away quickly. "You don't want to be killed?" _

_"Who wants to be killed!? Would you?" Aeris folded her arms. He ignored her._

_"I think you should play my game. You don't want anything bad to happen, like mentioned earlier, right?" the man grinned. Aeris scowled; she knew he loved the sound of his own voice. _

_"No..." She said meekly. _

_"I thought so." He sat beside her. "Well then shall we continue as planned? I promise, no one will get hurt." _

_"How can anyone believe any promises from you?" Aeris spat ._

_"Your words are always so cold. You'll learn to get used to me, I'll make sure of that." The man laughed. He ran a finger down her neck._

_"Don't touch me!" She slapped away his hand. "I'll play your stupid game, but you cannot hurt anyone! You cannot do anything bad to any of them! You hear me!" _

_"I'll get what I want, Aeris. You just do what I say and I won't have to use this." The man held up a yellow orb. Aeris gasped at the sight of it. "So you do remember! I'm honored!" _

_"You're a bastard!" the woman growled. _

_"I can be even more if you don't do as I say." The man said in a warning tone. He twirled the materia in his fingers._

_"...Fine." Aeris sighed. She didn't like the idea of distancing herself from Zack. She knew that it was all a part of his evil plan to do something terrible to Zack and the others. But why? Why did she have to hurt him so much emotionally? He certainly was a mysterious and eccentric man. Someone you could never trust._

_"Then, let's continue." He snapped his fingers. The sound was deafening to her ears. At once all the skittering clones darted from the hole in the wall and out onto the platform a few feet away. She screamed when one wrapped its hands around her waist and lifted her from the ground. _

_"Ah! Sephiroth!" Aeris reached out to the man. She pulled back quickly and immediately wanted to smack herself. He was the one who was causing all this and even still she had reached out to him for help. The man was deeply amused by this. _

_"This will be much easier than I thought." the man grinned. _

* * *

Shelke shuffled through the files one by one in her mind. She had found out some interesting information on the tunnels and its architecture. She would send of that information, but first she wanted to find out what was so important about the tunnels. She didn't want the group to search the entire structure if there was nothing there for them at all.

"There it is!" Shelke cheered.

Her mind clicked and opened one of the last files. The screen before her eyes showed multiple files written by Hojo. They contained the structure's strong and weak points, theories on the Ancients and their way of life within the tunnels, and finally lost 'information'. The girl grinned. She read the section on the lost information.

"This is not what I thought it was!" Shelke panicked. "This ancient information is not ancient text...but ancient DNA!" the girl scrolled through the documents. Hojo's information wasn't always text. In this case it was a form of monster DNA. He was researching the beast in order to create one of his own. "Either that, or he planned to unleash it. Jenova had created the monster when she first began exterminating the Ancient race. She had contaminated one of the planet's protectors, WEAPON! There's a WEAPON down there!?" the girl scrolled to the end of the page.

"Basically, it's a creature strong enough to destroy WEAPON and can easily be controlled by Jenova! Everyone is going to be exterminated if they go down there!" the young woman began closing all the files and prepared the line to call Vincent.

"Vincent! You need to get out of there! The Ancient information wasn't text! It was DNA! Get out-!" Shelke gasped loudly as a tingling sensation interrupted her thoughts. She spasmed as the computer screen fizzled out of sight.

'The connection!' Those were her last thought before she fell into darkness.

Gloved fingers gripped the cord that was once connected to the helmet the girl wore. Green eyes watched in amusement as the woman slumped in her chair. Mechanical drones sounded quietly along with the electric crackle of the now severed cord.

"Now that she's out of the way..." a satisfied voice sounded.

* * *

"Shelke!?" Vincent called out.

"Whats wrong?" Red asked.

"I don't know. I couldn't understand her..." Vincent hung up the phone. "Whatever it was, it wasn't good...something about DNA."

"DNA?" Aeris asked.

"...Anything about the text she was looking for?" Red asked.

"Sounded like she said it wasn't text." Vincent thought hard. The phone didn't hardly had any reception within the tunnels.

"Hey!" Cid's voice called out.

"There's Cid." Red announced.

"Looks like everyone's here." Aeris glanced at Zack whom was on the walkway about twenty feet to her right and to the other two on her left.

"Now what?" Yuffie asked. She was answered by a shrill cry from above.

"Incoming!" Cid shouted.

From the ceiling came four falling winged creatures, one for each walkway. They all spread their wings and began their attack without hesitation. The formation was set up so the two middle walkways had long distance fighters. The two outsides, Zack and Cloud, had plenty of materia to take the beasts down.

"Is this all you got!?" Barret shouted. As if answered to his taunt, a low growl sounded from either side of all the walkways.

"Now look at what ya' did!" Cid griped.

"I din't do nuthin'!"

Yuffie stared at the tunnel next to her. She was on the opposite side of the walkway where they just came from. Cid and Barret guarded the side they came in on and Tifa was placed in the center.

"What just growled at me?" Yuffie backed away slowly.

"Whatever it was, it growled at me too." Vincent eyed the tunnel beside him. He was in the same situation as Yuffie, guarding the entrance to the new area of his walkway. Red guarded the other side of the walkway and Aeris was in the middle.

The battle continued as everyone opened fire, swung their weapons, and blasted the enemy with materia. Meanwhile giant, round balls of flames shot out of the dark tunnels from all the exits. They were surrounded.

"I hate these things!" Zack cursed as he stared at the two bombs on either side of him. He hated the monsters since the day he battled them on the train bridge leading to Corel. The two bomb's beady yellow eyes glared at the man between them. A shriek sounded from above.

'This isn't very fair...' Zack sighed. Since when was anything fair with Zack Fair. He felt like he was cursed, to be the butt of all ironic jokes.

The man swung at the creature overhead, the blade dug in deep. The winged creature screeched with pain as it dropped into the cavern. He watched as his comrades struggled with the other critters. This was certainly going to take a while. The man twisted himself bringing his sword into the bomb nearest him. It crackled as flames burst from the wound. It sent Zack flying backwards as it exploded.

'Not good!' his eyes widened as the platform burst into pieces. The supporting pillar beneath the walkway held the rest of the structure up. Luckily, he had landed on the other side so he wouldn't slide down into the dark abyss.

'Zack!' Aeris turned her attention to the man.

The black haired, blue eyed man stumbled to his feet, the walkway vibrated dangerously beneath him. A low growl sounded from behind. Were the monsters planning this?

"Watch it! They're gonna blow up the walkways!" Zack called over his shoulder to the rest of the group.

Meanwhile on the opposite side, Cloud battled with three of his own beasts. He sliced at the bomb before him. His blade stuck into it's wound. Cloud quickly put a boot against the bomb's spherical body and kicked it away. The being exploded a few feet away, above the never ending pit. It took away one side of the platform.

'Not good...no matter what you do, they'll destroy the walkway.' Cloud glared at the other orb beside him and the shrieking winged beast above him.

"Duck!" Yuffie screamed as an explosion occurred overhead. She had landed her Shuriken within one of the bombs bodies after Tifa had landed a swift kick and forced it into the air. Hot ash and debris rained down upon the group.

"Ah! Damn #!" Cid speared the other bomb in the side. "Get him Barret!"

"No, don't!" Tifa reached out as the bomb exploded between her and Barret and Cid. The platform disintegrated.

"Tifa!" Yuffie screamed as she dove into the dark tunnel next to her. She got to her feet in time to watch her comrade slide down the now broken walkway and fall into the darkness below.

"Shit!" Barret reached out to her, but was too late. The woman was out of sight. Now Barret and Cid could no longer advance with the walkway ruined before them.

"Tifa!" Cloud shouted. He felt a blow to his side. The blond dropped to the ground, hanging halfway over the walkway.

"Damn..." Vincent aimed at the winged monster above. He fired once again. This would be the final shot to take out the monster. The bullet went through the beast's neck as it darted forward, toward the platform where Zack fought.

"Watch out!" Red called out as the monster collided with Zack's platform.

"What-!?" Zack toppled to the side as the walkway crumbled beneath his feet. His eyes dilated, trying to adjust to the approaching darkness that awaited him.

"Zack!" Aeris screamed.

"Hey! Careful!" Red snarled. Aeris turned just in time to see the bomb by Red explode into millions of pieces, along with the path she was on.

"Aeris!" Vincent shouted. The bomb by him exploded as well. Vincent flew into the tunnel, rock and debris flooded over the entrance, dividing him from the others. "Damn it!" he pounded his fist into the wall.

Aeris followed the same fate as Tifa, falling into the darkness that awaited her death. Red was as in good shape as Cid and Barret, trapped with no where to go but back to where they came from. The only way to advance was to go back and around the way Cloud had gone.

"What are we gonna do!?" Yuffie threw her weapon into one of the flying beasts. She gasped as she watched the next scene unfold. The creature spread it's wings and with it's last dieing breath, collided with Cloud and his platform. "NO!" she held onto the sides of her head.

"Cloud!" Barret hollered.

"Ugh!" the wind was knocked out of the man. He tumbled and fell into the cavern below. His blond spikes wiggled as the air blew past his body. Quickly, the soft orange glow from the ceiling turned into an ugly, sharp shade of pitch blackness.

At once all three of the remaining bombs sacrificed themselves to take out the others, though they also took out the final winged demon as well. Yuffie and the others dove into the tunnels, the broken rock enclosing them within the dark halls. The battle was finally over. Cloud, Tifa, Aeris, and Zack had been thrown into darkness. Cid, Barret and Red XIII had no where else to go but back and Yuffie and Vincent were left to find a new way out. Devastation fell upon those who remained in the light. They feared for the lives of their comrades. Was there any way they could have possibly survived?

* * *

Zack groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He was surrounded by darkness and silence. The man drug his hands over the rough ground he lay upon. His bones cracked as he slowly got to his knees. An awful ache came from his skull. He touched the sore spot and quietly hissed upon contact. Blood covered the tips of his fingers.

'Great...' the man sighed and got to his feet. 'Where the hell am I?'

He raised his head, frowning at the pain it caused. The glowing ceiling seemed so far away. There was no way he'd be able to safely navigate through the tunnels without any light. He seemed to be on solid ground instead of a walkway. He must've fallen to the bottom of the cavern.

"There's gotta be some way to get light down here." the man rubbed the back of his head. "What'd the Cetra do when they were down here?"

The ex-SOLDIER took a step forward and stopped. He sensed someone, or something, close by. The man listened intently a moment before hearing a shuffle off in the distance. Zack's attention went to the source of the sound. He squint his eyes, catching a glimpse of movement. A soft flicker of light appeared behind some rock structures about a hundred feet away.

"Fire..." the man whispered. He slowly headed towards the light and had a second thought.

'What if it's one of those fire bombs?' he reached for his sword and panicked. It wasn't with him.

"Ah! Where...!?" he looked back and forth at the ground by his feet. "I'll worry about it later..." his blue gaze went back to the flame in the distance, it was getting closer. He prepared himself for a battle, pressing himself against a nearby stone structure. He rubbed his knuckles as he waited, listening. There was another shuffle followed by the sound of something stumbling or falling.

'Almost...' he watched the ground, trying to catch glimpse of a shadow. Another sound, and a trickle of small pebbles skipped across the dirt past his feet. 'Now!' the man leapt from the shadows.

"Ah!" the intruder screamed. There was a loud smacking noise as Zack felt something make contact with his face.

"Ow! Damn it!" the man cursed. He mumbled some more, rubbing his cheek.

"What!? Who?" a voice called out. "Zack!?" it was a female voice. Zack squint his eyes, not used to the bright light in his face.

"Tifa?" he shielded his eyes.

"God! Zack, you scared the #& out of me!" the woman sighed. "You alright?" she clenched the torch in her hands tightly. The fire crackled as she moved. She was lucky enough to find it in one of the tunnels that were beside her when she regained consciousness. Tifa had just enough strength left to light it with her materia.

"Yeah...I'm fine." he groaned. Suddenly he jumped in shock. "Are you alright!? You fell! How'd you get here? You fall far? You okay!? Where are the others?" the man rambled.

"Yeah...I'm okay. I fell hard, but was lucky enough to catch myself on one of the lower platforms." she scoffed. "Only managed to scrape my hands, knees, and bump my head on a rock. I think I should live." she said sarcastically. Zack let out a relieved breath.

"It could have been so much worse!" the man sighed.

"Yeah...I know. I have no idea how I made it through that one. I was so sure it was over." she breathed a nervous laugh. "Anyways, I don't know about the others. I'm so glad I found you, though! I thought I would be left here all alone!"

"You wouldn't have been left, you know that. We would have come looking for you." Zack smirked.

"I know...I would have too if anyone else had fallen." She gasped. "Did anyone else fall?"

"I don't know. I fell right after you." the man shook his head, his dark bangs swayed gently.

"Great..." she rubbed her neck. "I suppose we should find a way out of here. Hopefully we'll find the others soon."

"Hey." Zack pointed at the torch. "Help me find my sword."

* * *

"Tifa..." Cloud whispered. He heard his own voice reverberate in the darkness. 'Where am I?' the man sat up. He remembered the battle he had just gone through. His joints ached and his back felt like a chocobo was stepping on it, talons digging into his skin. The sword was still clenched in his hand, he had a death grip around the handle. Cloud rubbed his head as he rose to his feet. He reached into his pocket to search for his cell phone. He tugged the item from his clothing, frowning at the crack across its screen. Luckily, it still worked; sadly, there was no reception and the battery was low.

"Damn..." the man groaned. He shown the bright light across the wall, lighting the tunnel walls beside him. He stared at the item attached to the rocky surface. It was a torch.

'At least something went right today...' the man let out an irritated breath as he reached for the object. He concentrated a moment, bringing his thoughts to his materia to light it. Fire brightly blazed a moment later. The light hurt his eyes, sending a sharp pain to his brain. He began his journey, searching for an exit.

The blond frowned, his ankle popped every time he took a step. It was an awkward feeling. He shook the thought out of his head. There were a lot more important things to worry about than his ankle. He walked forward, approaching a walkway. He stumbled to a halt at the sight before him. Dangling across the walkway was a frail, broken body.

"Aeris!" the man trotted to the woman. He kneeled down and lifted her, placing her in his lap. "Aeris! Wake up!" he shook her gently.

"Ugh..." a moan erupted from her lips.

"Aeris! It's me, Cloud. Wake up." he brushed the woman's bangs from her face.

"Cloud?" her eyes flickered open. "You saved me?"

Cloud was dumbfounded. Saved? How could he possible have saved her? Unless she thought he had come searching for her. The man felt a bit guilty. He wished he could have saved her, kept her from falling, but he couldn't even save himself. Now it was his job to make sure Aeris made it out of the tunnels safely.

"Yeah...of course." he nodded. "Are you alright?"

"I think so..." She groaned as she sat up.

"Careful. We're on another walkway. It's pretty narrow." the man helped her to her feet.

"Where are the others?" Aeris stuttered. She was scared, in pain, and very cold. She just wanted to go home and forget about everything, forget about Sephiroth, forget about ever wanting to save the planet.

"I'm not sure. I know you, Tifa, Zack and I have fallen. Hopefully they are nearby and we will run into them. As for Vincent and the others, I have no clue."

"You don't think the others could have fallen...further?" Aeris gulped as she looked over the side of the walkway at the darkness below. She didn't know how many other levels there were below, and hoped that no one had managed to fall that far.

"It's possible..." Cloud started. He saw the worried look on the woman's face. "But I wouldn't worry about it! If they did fall, I'm sure they are all fine!"

"Oh! Your phone! Call Vincent!" she hopped up and down a little.

"Can't...no reception. Besides the battery will die any minute." he raised his head. "But I was able to find this. There should be more around here. We'll get you one as well." he shook the torch gently from side to side.

"Ok..." Aeris smiled. "Let's go find the others."

* * *

"We're trapped! There's no way out! We're gonna die!" Yuffie held onto the sides of her head.

"We'll get out..." Vincent replied sourly.

"How!? The exit's that way! And we can't go _that way_!"

"Then we will find another way out, Yuffie." Vincent grumped.

"We'll be wandering these tunnels forever, trying to find a way out!" the ninja girl whined. "Can't you just claw a hole through it or something?"

"Yuffie..." the man's tone was a warning. "There is a wall about five foot thick of rock debris...my claw wouldn't even make it an inch..."

"Then turn into a bat and blast through it! Come on! You made it up all those levels in the Shinra building! Can't you break through a tiny wall like that?" the woman placed her hands on her hips.

"No. I don't have enough energy built up right now. Besides I can't always control him. One of these days, he's gonna be unleashed and do what he wants." Vincent headed down the tunnel. Yuffie swallowed hard at the thought of that demon taking over Vincent and reeking havoc within the tunnels.

"Where you goin'!?" her voice raised in pitch.

"To find the others and get us all out of here." he simply stated.

"You're sucha macho man..." the young woman rolled her eyes.

"Someone's gotta save everyone's ass." the man sighed.

"Where did you develop this ego?" she gave him a smug look.

"I suppose I've been hanging around someone who thinks too highly of them self, lately." he glanced over his shoulder at the woman.

"And what's that supposed to mean!?" a hand slapped the man's back.

"..." he ignored her question, continuing his journey.

"Vincent! You're not gonna play this game with me!" she stomped after him.

* * *

"Perfect...Every thing's going as planned so far." an evil lurked in the shadows. "Too bad she had too fall as well. Perhaps I should go and save her." a chuckle resonated from the man's chest.

"I'll be her knight." he turned the nearest corner, glancing over the edge of the walkway. 'Mother, our game is far from over. I'm getting close, I know it. We will be able to awaken it. It's only a matter of time, now that they are out of the way. They've led us to it and thanks to that brat in the ship, we know exactly where to find it! With it's power, no one can stop us!' Sephiroth chuckled as he leapt over the edge of the walkway to the bowels of the cavern.

* * *

Okay Ive got to end it here for now. Next chapter will contain more romance and drama, don't miss it! Also, perhaps we'll find out more about Reno and Elena's babysitting adventures! Thanks for reading and reviewing i hope you enjoyed this chapter. -Annubis


	13. Chapter 13

So sorry about the delay! College is keeping me real busy this semester! Luckily, i only have one class on friday so i can spend the evenings then typing the new chapters! Thanks for sticking with me and not losing interest. Ive been having difficulties lately trying to make this story more interesting. Anyways, thanks for all those who reviewed and read the last chapter. I love hearing from you! Ill get to work on this new chapter, hopefully there will be plenty of surprises in there for you all! -Annubis

* * *

**The Decision Between Life or Death:**

**A Second Chance**

**Chapter 13**

"See, Reno. It's very easy, even you can do it." Elena stirred the boiling noodles.

"It's not really that it's hard, it's more of the lack of motivation." the red head mumbled as he chopped the vegetables and scooped them into the large salad bowl.

"You've got to be the most lazy person I know." the woman giggled.

"I'm not lazy!" Reno pointed the knife at her. She raised her eyebrows at his gesture. The man quickly dropped the knife onto the counter and folded his arms.

"Sure..." she shrugged. "Whatever you say." she eyed the trash sitting on the floor by the trashcan, the pillows scattered about the couch area and the dirty dishes in the sink.

"I'm a man, what do you expect?" he returned to his vegetables.

"Rude's place is clean." the woman lifted her chin.

"Well...that's Rude. He's not like most...men." Reno shuddered at the thought of Rude being a member of one of Elena's cooking clubs.

"He does get a lot of girls because of it." the woman smiled. He raised an eyebrow.

"How?" he asked out loud.

"Women like a man who keeps his place clean, can cook a meal for them and is a gentleman." the blonde checked the meatballs next to her.

"Hey! Gentlemen? Who said I wasn't one of those?" Reno eyeballed the food. His stomach growled in protest.

"...Come on, you're not exactly...charming." Elena smirked, trying to get a rise out of the man was one of her favorite past times and most of the time it worked.

"Charming!?" he scoffed. "I could be charming." he whined.

"Proove it." the woman slapped the man in the chest with a giant, plastic spoon.He leaned in dangerously close to Elena's face, his eyes drawn into hers. With their noses almost touching, he whispered.

"You'll see...I'll prove to you that I can be prince charming." he winked.

"Hah!" she laughed at the ceiling. "Reno, if you could be half as charming as Rude, you wouldn't be living alone."

"He lives alone!" he exclaimed.

"You sure? I see quite a few ladies going in and out of his place daily." her voice raised in pitch.

"What!? No way! He'd tell me." the man shook the vegetables in the bowl.

"Maybe he doesn't want to tell you."

"Why wouldn't he want to tell me? I'm his best friend!"

"Maybe cause you'd get jealous. Or you'd show up at his doorstep every time a girl was over to try to...butt in."

"I'd never do sucha thing!" Reno couldn't hold a straight face. "Ok...maybe I would be curious."

"Don't tell him I said anything to you!" Elena pointed at the man.

"Why not?" he smirked. "Cause then it'd sound like you were spying on him?"

"No!" she stammered. "I, it's just not right to butt in on someone's personal life and you would only make it hard for him if you were asking him about it all the time. Rude's different than you. He doesn't go bragging to other men who he's been with. He's a true gentlemen."

"Gah...you're making me sick." the man rolled his eyes.

"Jealous?" she questioned.

"No!" he said quickly.

"Hmm..." she snorted and opened the oven. "You should have a meal that contains every one of the major food groups." she changed the subject.

"We're missin' some."

"Nope." she pointed to the food. "Noodles, bread. Meatballs, protein. Cheeses, milk. Salad, vegetables."

"What about fruit?" Reno put his nose in the air.

"Apple pie." she smiled as she motioned Reno to take a look inside the oven.

"Homemade apple pie!?" he sniffed the air.

"That's right! Not the most healthy way to eat fruit, but you gotta have dessert!" she beamed.

"Then you sit!" he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her toward the table.

"What? Why?" she asked, confused.

"I'll set the table. You just relax and enjoy the show!" the man turned quickly and entered the kitchen.

"...You're so romantic, Reno." the woman snickered.

* * *

"Where are we?" Aeris ran a hand over one of her arms. The chill of the tunnels was getting to her. She glanced at the dwindling fire on her torch.

"I think about four levels from the top." Cloud looked upward. "You cold?" he turned his attention back to the woman.

"Hm...a little." she nodded.

"..." he handed her the second torch and without hesitation ran his hands over her arms. The gesture gave Aeris chills. She was shocked by the boldness of Cloud's actions. "It's my job to make sure you get out of here safely, even if that means keeping you from catching a cold." his voice was low. His warm breath on her neck was comforting.

"Ok." she giggled nervously. "But even if I did catch cold, it wouldn't be your fault, you know that?"

"You know that I'd find a way to blame myself." the was a hint of laughter in his voice.

"You always do." she lowered her head. "But I don't want you to, Cloud. I don't want you to blame yourself."

"Aeris, you died because I failed to protect you. One of Zack's last dieing wishes was for me to protect you and I failed miserably. You're death was one of the worst things I ever had to witness. It reminded me of Nibelheim, my mother dieing. It all was a painful reminder that I will never be strong enough to keep the ones I love safe."

"Is that why you run away from Tifa?" she asked. His grip loosened on the woman.

"Tifa..." Cloud frowned.

"Cloud you keep running away. If you continue to run away from the ones you love, you will most certainly fail to be there for them when they need you most." she turned her head to face him.

"I'm so confused, Aeris." his blue eyes darted to the ground.

"About what?" she sighed.

"About love." there was silence.

"Love?" she questioned.

"There are different types of love, correct?"

"Yes." she nodded slowly.

"There's motherly love, friendly love, sibling love, and then actual love. When you love someone romantically." the man continued walking but without his arms around the woman.

"Yeah." she whispered, slightly afraid of where the conversation would lead to.

"You're only supposed to love one person, right?" his eyes strayed away from hers.

"You mean romantically?" the word was strange on her lips. He nodded. "It seems that way, but I don't think so."

"You don't?" he glanced at her.

"No. I think it's very possible to love many people. The problem is when it's romantically, there's jealousy, anger, and the need to belong to only one person, or have only one person belong to them. It's considered a bad thing to love more than one person in that way but it seems so difficult sometimes. For me, there's often uncertainty. What if he isn't the one? What if I made a bad choice? What if I would have been happier with someone else?" She rambled on, forgetting that she was thinking aloud.

"How is it possible to love so many people?"

"It's kindness."

"You're too kind Aeris." Cloud mumbled.

"What?"

"You shouldn't love anyone else."

"What do you mean? Who should I love?" her voice quavered.

"You should love the one who can give you the most love, the one who without a doubt in your mind will always be there for you."

"Cloud..." she pulled him to a stop. A dark tunnel was to their side. He turned to her but had his head lowered. "Who do you love?"

"I love you, Aeris. I always have and I think I always will. I don't deserve you though. I wouldn't be able to protect you." he shook his head from side to side. His blue eyes sparkled in the firelight.

"Oh, Cloud..." Aeris bit her lip. "I have feelings for you. They are so great that it confuses me sometimes."

"But you love Zack..." he answered.

"Actually...We've been having a hard time lately. I'm not sure who I love anymore. Maybe I _don't_ love anymore." she glared at the ground beneath her feet.

"What do you mean?" he looked up at her. He wasn't used to Aeris being so cold. There certainly was something bothering her.

"Cloud I'm not sure who I love more. I want to get away. Away from everything. To live the kind of life I want. To live peacefully, in a house with a garden. To be able to go on a vacation with my friends and have a fun time. To sleep away the day with the man of my dreams and eventually start a family. Would either you or Zack be able to ever settle down?" the woman wiped tears from her eyes. "Tifa wants the same thing and I think the more we both wait, the more we began to not care anymore."

"No care?" Cloud swallowed hard. "Would I be able to settle down? Tifa and I live together and I've only taken her for granted." his eyes met Aeris'.

"You have feelings for her, I know you do."

"...Tifa." Cloud sighed. His hand ran across his chest. "I wouldn't be able to function properly without her. I...should be better to Tifa."

"Tifa wants more, Cloud."

"I should tell her to go..." he turned his back to the woman.

"No! Cloud!" Aeris rubbed her forehead.

"She deserves so much more. She deserves a man who would love her as much as..."

"As she loves you." Aeris placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Who...would?" Cloud let out a breath. "I...would never be able to see her again. I wouldn't be able to handle seeing her with..."

"Jealousy...Cloud." Aeris smiled. "You don't want her to be with another man. I don't want to sound so horrible, but you should say something to her soon before it gets to the point where she leaves."

"Has she mentioned it?" Cloud turned to the Ancient. He cursed himself repeatedly for not taking the chance to tell Tifa how much he appreciated her.

"No. Not really. I think we both are just tired of things." Aeris whispered.

"But...It doesn't extinguish my feelings for you." the man covered his face.

"Cloud...we both are stuck in a bad situation, aren't we?" Aeris giggled.

"I'm sorry, I should not have even mentioned anything like this. We have more important things to worry about." Cloud began to walk towards the dark tunnel.

"No! Cloud you need to talk about these things. Let people know whats going on! I am glad you told me about the feelings you had for me. Maybe you should try the same thing with Tifa and see what happens." Aeris gave him a reassuring smile. She felt her heart sink. It seemed like she was trying to set him up with the other woman. She didn't know anymore who she was. She didn't know who Cloud was anymore as well, getting more bold by the minute with his feelings. She didn't feel like she knew Zack anymore either. He was so preoccupied with other things that it seemed as if he was another person. Then again, Sephiroth was putting her in a sour mood and had already ruined things between her and Zack.

"I'll talk to her, Aeris." Cloud nodded. "Thanks for listening to my...problems." He gave an embarrassed smirk.

"Everyone needs someone to listen every once and a while." Aeris grinned.

"I think that you'll find your place, Aeris. And whatever it is, tell me." he breathed a laugh. "I think I can learn to be there for you...or whoever."

Indeed the conversation was quite weird and awkwardly silent, but the two had reached an understanding. They both were in love, they just had to decide on who it was. Aeris giggled, how ridiculous life could be sometimes.

"Let's continue going up." Cloud cleared his throat. "We should reach the upper level real soon."

"I agree." Aeris nodded. "Well, I have the light. Shall I go in first?" She made a moaning, ghost sound.

"Actually, I think I should go first." Cloud placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and grabbed one of the torches from her. The blinding light temporarily blinded him as it passed by his face.

"Ah!" a yelp sounded from the woman in front of him.

"Aeris!?" Cloud blinked a few times, staring at the dark tunnel before him. Aeris was gone, swallowed up by the dark tunnel. "Aeris!" Cloud darted down the dark path.

* * *

"And, and he's so distant! Doesn't share his feelings or anything!" Tifa let out an exasperated sigh.

"Cloud's always been that way." Zack chuckled. "It's one of the first things I noticed about him. He isn't like everyone else."

"Vincent shares his feelings better than him!" the woman was animated with her hands, flailing them in all directions.

"A brick wall shares its feelings better than him..." the ex-SOLDIER muttered.

"I just don't get it sometimes, you know? I feel like I'm wasting so much time." her voice lowered.

"You're not." Zack shook his head.

"Huh?" she turned to him.

"You're not wasting time with him. Sure, he's difficult at times but that's the way he is. Cloud needs time, though it seems like too much time."

"He's had so many years, Zack. I'm beginning to think that it's hopeless. Maybe he should be alone. Maybe he needs someone else."

"He doesn't need anyone else. He needs you." Zack glanced at her out of the corner of his glowing blue eyes. Those eyes sent chills down Tifa's spine. They filled her with both fear and excitement. Zack noticed her stare. He cleared his throat ending the strange silence.

'What's she thinking about?' Zack nervously ran a hand through his hair. He was reminded of the kiss he and Tifa had shared so long ago.

"If he needed me he would have made that clear by now." The woman glanced towards the far away ceiling. They were now four floors from the top, the same level where Cloud and Aeris shared a similar conversation. She was happy with their progress.

"He's a man. Men aren't very clear about their feelings. Being in SOLDIER kinda tends to numb people."

"But you're not numb to your feelings." Tifa threw her arms in the air. "Zack, I don't understand how you an Aeris could be having problems. It's obvious you love her more than anything! Why do I have to be..." she searched for her words. Did she really love Cloud?

"In love with him?" Zack asked.

"Yeah...Why do I have to be in love with that man?" her eyes met with Zack's. He was the same as Cloud in every way, just with emotion. "I should have looked for a man who was like you."

"What?" Zack stumbled for his words. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"You're honest, you share your feelings and you aren't afraid of them. You can protect and be there for someone without a second thought and you're strong and brave. You can fight the cells in your body."

"...I...um." he fidgeted uncomfortably.

"It's not that Cloud's weak. Physically he's strong, it's his mind. He lets things get to him, he gets scared easily, worries too much. And then he breaks promises..." she lowered her head.

"He kept one promise." Zack spoke up. He placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "He wanted to join soldier because of you. Wanted to impress you. He came for you in Nibelheim, though he wasn't in SOLDIER, he still kept his promise to you."

"...He did." Tifa nodded. "He came for me when I was in a pinch."

"You should tell him how you feel, Tifa." he suggested.

"I'm not sure how I feel anymore, Zack." she shook her head slowly. Her dark hair swung over her face.

"Seems Aeris and you are having second thoughts." the man said in a sad voice. The woman bit her lower lip.

"I'm sorry, Zack. I don't know what's gotten into her lately. I think she's stressed out about something."

"She won't talk to me. Won't tell me what's going on." he's brilliant blue eyes drifted to the side. Tifa could see the sadness in his expression. It was heartbreaking to her, not seeing such a face on a man in years. Cloud rarely expressed emotion verbally or facially.

"They sound so similar." Tifa scoffed. "Maybe they are perfect for each other." She kicked a pebble on the path in front of her.

"What!?" Zack turned to her.

"I'm sorry Zack..." Tifa took in a ragged breath. "I...can't help thinking that he's always going to love her and I'll always be in second place."

"Do you think that she is in love with him and that's why she..." Zack clenched his fists. Everything was going in circles. The same thing had happened on their last journey before he and Aeris were killed. History really did repeat itself. He noticed Tifa staring at his eyes again. "Do I scare you?"

"Um. No!" Tifa waved a hand in front of her face. "It's just that your eyes are so..."

"I remind you of Sephiroth?" the man asked in a bitter tone.

"No. Well a little, but I wasn't thinking about that." Tifa laughed nervously.

"What were you thinking then?" Zack asked curiously. He leaned in close to her, raising an eyebrow. Did he just flirt with her?

"I...oh...I was thinking about how mesmerizing they were." She tried to tear her gaze away but was drawn into the soft glow.

"Mesmerizing?" Zack chuckled. "Like I could put a spell on you?" he laughed at his corniness.

"Ha! No...Well, maybe." Tifa flipped her hair behind her ear. Her brown eyes were golden in the flaming light. She played along with Zack's game.

'Uh oh...I should put an end to this before something happens...' Zack gulped as she drew in close.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Tifa giggled.

"No, why?" Zack asked. The truth was she was making him very uncomfortable. He was going to do something stupid and before he knew it, that something stupid was already in progress.

"Because, you're breathing hard..." Tifa whispered. He felt her breath on his lips.

'What are you doing, Tifa!?' her brain screamed in alarm.

"Hard?" Zack asked, repeating the only word that he had heard. He shoved back quickly, laughing out loud.

"..." Tifa covered her face. She wanted to die of embarrassment.

"We should move on. I think this darkness is playing games on us." the dark haired man scratched his head.

"Zack, I'm sorry..." Tifa kept her hand to the side of her face, so he couldn't see how red she was.

"It was my fault. I started it. We should be more careful." the man suggested.

"Good idea." the woman said before she tripped.

"Tifa!" Zack reached down to her and lifted her quickly to her feet. "You can't fall again. It'd be bad..." his hands wrapped around her wrists, holding her close to him.

"Zack..." Tifa whispered. They were acting like desperate, love-sick puppies.

"I'll lead the way..." he said quickly before dropping her hands. His light reflected against the approaching stone walls of the long tunnel. A dark shadow crossed his path and before he knew it, he was drug into the darkness, his torch falling from his hands.

"Zack!?" Tifa shrieked.

'What just happened? He disappeared! The darkness ate him! I'm all alone! Left alone...' Tifa's eyes stung at the thought of what had just taken her companion.

"Zack!" she screamed.

* * *

"Aeris!" Cloud shouted. He was now at the third floor of the cavern. He couldn't find the girl. He ran down one of the forking tunnels, not caring if he got lost. He needed to find Aeris.

"Cloud!?" a voice called out in front of him. It was eerie, but sounded very familiar. He was led into a brightly lit room. It was circular and quite different than any of the other places he had been so far. It seemed to have been a type of storage room. Small tunnels were burrowed into the walls and ceilings of the room.

"Aeris?" he called out.

"Cloud!" her voice responded. The man glanced towards a broken pillar in the center of the room. Aeris stumbled from around the side, fright covered her face.

"Aeris! Are you alright-?" he stopped as the woman dashed forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I was so scared!" She sobbed. "Cloud, I was alone! I was so alone and cold in the dark! I couldn't find you. I thought I was stuck here forever!"

"It's alright, Aeris! What happened, did something happen?" the man glanced at the woman's terrorized face.

"He's here! He's here, Cloud and he's going to kill me!" she clenched her fists, tugging on the man's navy shirt.

"He?" Cloud's tone lowered. "Sephiroth?"

"Yes! That horrible man is here and he's going to take me away from you again!" she nuzzled her head against his neck.

"..." Cloud's heart beat faster and faster. "I'll-"

"Protect me! Please save me, Cloud! Don't let me die!" she cried out. That was the straw that broke the camels back. Cloud wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. She shivered under his touch.

"Cloud, I love you." She whispered, her lips now against his neck. "I don't want to leave your side..."

"...Aeris." His eyes closed.

'What is she saying? We just talked about this...' Cloud fought with himself mentally as the woman began kissing trails to his jawline.

"You don't want me?" She whispered.

"No, its not that, I just thought...we talked about this." his voice quaked.

"Talk? Who cares about that. What happens now... this moment is all that matters." her voice was chilly and quite out of character.

"Aeris?" Cloud questioned. His mouth was covered by hers. The man's knees weakened. Thoughts of his mother's saying rang through his head.

'You should date an older woman. One who can take care of you.' Cloud kissed her back, bringing a hand to her cheek. Aeris gave him that security. The feelings he needed to protect her, to be protected by her as well.

The two stood in silence, exchanging passionate kisses. Cloud never wanted the feeling to end, but there was something wrong with this situation. Aeris would never do anything like this. She would consider his feelings first and probably everyone else's before she ever even thought of doing something like this.

There was a scuffling sound in the upper corner of the room coming from one of the tunnels. A couple of pebbles dribbled to the floor.

"What was that?" Cloud pulled away from the kiss. He glanced at the tunnel where the noise emitted from.

"He's here!" Aeris shuddered. "Cloud you have to save me!" the man looked at her a moment. He noticed a strange glow from her materia. It was a soft yellow glow.

'Strange...' he thought for a second before investigating further.

The blonde approached the tunnel. He turned his back on the woman a second before glancing back at her. She was gone. Nowhere to be seen.

"Aeris?" Cloud ran around the room looking for the woman.

"Aeris!?"

* * *

"Damn it!" Zack cursed. He sat up quickly glancing at the darkness around him. "Where the hell am I?" the man glanced from side to side. He was in a small tunnel. At one end was an opening which flooded in an orange light. At the other end was endless darkness. Zack decided to take his chances and check out the lit area.

'I hope Tifa's alright. She should continue without me. It's important everyone gets out soon.' Zack's thoughts flooded his brain. 'Aeris, where is she? Are all the others alright? Why does she not love me? Maybe Tifa was right. Maybe her and Cloud have something going on behind everyone's backs.'

"You're being silly, Zack..." the man grumbled to himself.

He neared the opening of the tunnel. He could see flames lining the walls of a circular room. The man looked out to get a better view of the scenery. The round room had small tunnels like the one he was in lining the walls and ceiling. The room seemed to be a storage facility. The pillars in the room were badly damaged. He turned his head to the side and felt his heart explode into millions of pieces. By one of the broken pillars was both Aeris and Cloud. He was happy they were alive but at the same time dreaded to see them like this. They held onto each other tightly. Cloud's hand traced up the woman's arm to her cheek as her lips pressed against his. Zack let out a choke, seeing the two continue another minute. He couldn't believe it, Tifa was right. They were perfect for each other. Zack tumbled back into the dark tunnel. A couple of small pebbles dropped to the room below. The man covered his mouth, not wanting to think about what he had just seen. There was no mistaking it this time, Aeris had kissed Cloud.

"Aeris!?" Cloud's voice echoed in the tunnels. "Damn!"

Zack lifted his head from his knees, listening to Cloud's ranting voice. The dark haired man glanced back into the room, watching Cloud exit rather quickly, sword drawn.

'What just happened?' Zack dropped down into the room. Cloud and Aeris both were in here and when he looked back it was just Cloud. He had left in quite a hurry, calling out the woman's name. Had she run off?

"Aeris..." Zack closed his eyes. He felt like he was going to be sick.

* * *

"My, now that was some fun..." Sephiroth chuckled to himself. His boot kicked the woman's foot. He tossed a yellow confuse materia into the air and let it plop back into his dark glove.

"What'd you do?" Aeris glared. She rubbed her wrists together, trying to remove the tight rope that bound them together.

"Oh nothing. Just played a fun game with Cloud." the silver haired man laughed. He held a hand against his stomach. "It took a lot of guts! I can't believe I actually went through it myself, never done anything so disgusting in my entire life!" the man wiped his eyes.

"What...?" Aeris gawked.

"I just toyed with his emotions, thats all." the man squat next to the woman, his green eyes stared into hers. In a low tone he continued, "And I made sure Zack saw the whole thing."

"No. What have you done? You horrible monster!" Aeris kicked her legs that were tied together as well. Sephiroth reached for Aeris' hair and plucked the materia from it. He dropped it into his pocket.

"I'm not the monster here." Sephiroth grabbed the girl's collar. "_It's_ actually waking as we speak. It sure is a long process. Lacking Jenova's cells makes things that used to be so easy, so much more difficult."

"Jenova?" Aeris asked.

"Not having mother here with us limits my strength. That's why I needed your help." he ran a finger across her collar bone.

"You needed me to weaken them so you could control them!" Aeris screamed.

"Of course! But you didn't do good enough. But every thing's set now. Cloud's confused as a teenage boy, Zack would rather be dead right now, and my monster is ready to wake up to destroy everyone. This couldn't be anymore perfect!"

"You're sick!" Aeris leaned forward, ramming her shoulder into the man's chest. Sephiroth didn't budge. He looked down at the woman leaning against him. He laughed as she struggled to straighten herself up.

"Vicious little thing." the man laughed.

Sephiroth's hand went behind the woman's back and clenched around her tied wrists. His other hand pressed against her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his.

"Maybe not quite so perfect." the man lifted the yellow orb. "If I can get a little bit more fun in before its time for me to leave, then it'd all be perfect."

"No..." Aeris tried to pull away, but felt herself frozen. The confuse materia glowed with such intensity the woman closed her eyes. He was going to have his way with her again. "You promised..."

"Since when had any man you known kept a promise?" he breathed against her neck. She squirmed under his grasp.

"I did what you asked, now let me go!"

"That wasn't the deal." the man shook his head. "I never said anything about you."

"What?"

"I said I'd keep the others safe; I never said anything about you." he smirked.

"I said you can't hurt anyone!"

"Then you said I couldn't do anything bad to any of _them._ You never stated yourself as well." his hand curled around the orb, letting the light flood into the woman's eyes. She pulled them shut.

"You're a cheater! You're a lier! You just do whatever you want!" she shrieked as her eyes flew open again.

"I want to hear you plead..." he whispered against her lips. "Let me hear you call out for your love, call out for Zack. Would you like for me to make it easier on you?"

"Stop it, Sephiroth." The woman glanced to the side.

"Look at me!" her head was pulled back towards the man. Aeris sobbed. She was in Zack's arms. He grinned at her, wide eyed and laughing. "What's wrong Aeris? You don't love me anymore?"

"I never loved you!" Aeris spat at the man. Sephiroth growled angrily, his form reappearing and taking over Zack's.

"I can make you!" He pulled out another orb.

'Manipulate...' Aeris shuddered. 'Make me? Why does he want me to love him?'

"You'll never feel love, Sephiroth. You'll never be loved by anyone! You're nothing more than a failed experiment! Your father could care less, your mother is nothing more than an empty vessel and Jenova is only using you for her evil deeds!" the woman hissed.

"..." for the first time, Sephiroth was speechless. The back of his hand met with the woman's face. She cried out in pain. His silver hair fell over his shoulders as he lifted the woman. In one hand he held onto two glowing materia. He concentrated the rest of his energy into the orbs. He was going to get what he wanted and he was going to do it now.

"Stop it!" Aeris screamed as she felt her body going numb, her eyes getting sleepy.

Jenova's cells and energy were working hard trying to wake up the massive monster that slept in the lowest levels of the cavern, to try and control or confuse Cloud and Zack, and now to work against Aeris and manipulate her.

"You'll be mine!" Sephiroth growled. A burst of light exploded into the room. Aeris shrieked and dropped to the floor. She glanced upwards at the man before her.

Sephiroth stood in the middle of the small room. His hands shook, dropping the materia to the floor. A low hum sounded, deactivating the magic. Small gasps and chokes sounded from the man as he dropped to the floor, his mouth gaping.

'What happened?' Aeris scurried away from the man.

"Agh!" he groaned as he held onto the sides of his head. Aeris had seen Cloud do this many times. "Mother!" Sephiroth screamed as he shook and trembled. Aeris watched in horror as the man fought with himself and screamed in pain.

"...Sephiroth?" Aeris tried to stand, to get away.

"Sephiroth?" the man answered. "Me?" he looked up at the woman. His eyes widened as he stared into her glowing green irises. He scrambled backwards, scooting towards the wall behind him. His eyes surveyed his surroundings.

"You're..." Aeris gasped. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Who are you?" Sephiroth asked, his voice trembled in fear. He reminded her of Kadaj.

"Aeris...You were going to..." She looked away.

"What have I done!?" the man stood quickly, holding onto her shoulders. He shook her gently.

"I, You've done lots of things." Aeris whispered.

'This is Sephiroth. He is so scared...He has no idea what he has been doing all this time.' she was full of sadness for the man. He was just being manipulated as well.

"I killed them! I killed them all!" the man backed away, holding his head. "Why is this happening! What have I done!?"

"Let me loose!" Aeris said quickly.

"What?" He glanced up at her once again.

"You were going to do terrible things to me, and now you're trying to wake up a horrible monster and kill my friends. You'll probably try to destroy the world again." she rattled off the sentences quickly.

"I...there's so much I need to know, tell me!" Sephiroth's hands worked quickly at the knot tied around her wrists. In a second the rope dropped to the floor.

"I'm afraid we don't have time right now. Sephiroth! You have to trust me. You have to let me loose and try to keep Jenova from taking over." Aeris explained. He dropped to the ground, untying her ankles.

"Jenova?" Sephiroth asked. His hands slowly stopped working. His eyes began to glaze over. "M, mother?"

"No!" Aeris screamed. She kicked her feet, knocking the man over and loosening the rope.

"Wait!" Sephiroth muttered. He got to his feet quickly and grabbed the woman. She shrieked as he pulled her towards him. His green eyes met hers. "I am so sorry for whatever grief I have put you through..." he lowered his head and took in a ragged breath. "And for whatever future trouble I cause you. Get out of here." He shoved her away.

"Sephiroth?" she made her way for the dark tunnel beside her.

"Go! Leave!" the man was breathing hard. He dropped to his knees once again. "Jenova...Jenova...Jen..."

Aeris ran for the hole in the wall. She stopped momentarily as something caught her eye. Sephiroth's Masamune glinted in the light beside her. She grabbed the massive weapon and darted through the hole, leaving the psychologically distressed man behind.

"Mother!" Sephiroth dropped to the ground, kicking up the dust. His features relaxed, as if sleeping. The silver haired man remained silent and unmoving for the next few minutes before his eyes popped open again. His eyes glazed over as an angry moan erupted from his lips.

* * *

"Hurry up! Get that rope, Nanaki!" Cid puffed on his cigarette. "Barret place some of that dynamite in the corner over there. We're gonna blow this place to pieces!"

Cid gave orders to the two as he prepared his plan for rescuing the others. Red, Barret, and Cid had returned to the ship to see about getting help from Reeve. To their horror, they found Shelke unconscious in her chair and Kadaj in the corner of the room holding a broken Cait Sith. Kadaj was muttering about Sephiroth and a big monster. He refused to let go of the now destroyed cat. In a hurry, Cid and the other two had gathered all supplies for the rescue mission.

"We've gotta hurry! Who knows how much longer before we meet up with that monster Kadaj was blabbing about!" Cid cursed, throwing his smoking stick to the ground.

"We're goin'. Keep yo' shorts on." Barret groaned.

"Don'cha tell me to keep my shorts on!" the pilot sat on the ground, tinkering with a small device in his hands.

* * *

"We're going to die." Yuffie groaned as her and Vincent once again came to a dead end. "I say we go back."

"We can't go back, Yuffie. There's no way through that wall." Vincent replied coolly.

"And there isn't any way out this way either, Vincent!" the young woman dropped to the ground.

"Yuffie, get up." Vincent tugged on her arm.

"No!" She screamed disobediently.

"You're acting like Marlene."

"I don't care." Yuffie pouted. "Gah! Vincent! What are we going to do!?"  
"Princess, I suggest we get out of here soon. I don't know how much more I can handle this."

"Handle what?" the woman stood up, sticking her face up to the man's. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to meet the height difference. Vincent then did something she didn't expect. He too stood on his toes.

"You're childish behavior." he looked down at her.

"What!?" She raised a fist.

"You know, you're going to become queen soon. Shouldn't you be a little more responsible and less childish. I won't be here forever to babysit you." He grabbed her headband and raised it over his head. Vincent's red eyes showed a hint of amusement as Yuffie hopped up and down, trying to retrieve the item.

"Look who's talking! You're playing keep away with me!" Yuffie grunted with each jump.

"And you don't like games?" Vincent asked. "Most children do."

"I'm not a child!" Yuffie yelled. Vincent frowned. He apparently went too far and made her angry. She huffed and walked away from the man, leaving him in the darkness.

"Yuffie. You forgot something." Vincent said in a monotone voice.

"I don't care!" she called back over her shoulder.

"I do."

"What?" she stopped.

"I don't want you running off by yourself. Come back here and get your headband." Vincent grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Why are you always so mean to me!?" Yuffie growled. She remembered the talk they had when she was sixteen. Vincent had hugged her, making her feel a little better. Even after that he still insisted on making her feel like an idiot. "Will I never be strong enough for you!?" she snagged the headband from his hands.

"I don't mean to make you angry, Yuffie." Vincent replied softly.

"Then why do you?" She stomped her foot, turning away from him again.

"Because..." he began. "It's fun."

"Fun!?" she twitched in anger.

'Uh oh...' Vincent smirked.

"You want to see what it's like?" Yuffie growled and reached forward. She reached towards the man's waist. He stiffened a moment not sure what she was going to do.

'I wonder if he's ticklish?' Yuffie thought for a second. She changed her mind and went for the thing Vincent loves most, his weapon.

"Ha!" Yuffie jumped backwards, drawing Vincent's Cerberus from it's holster.

"Yuffie!" the man said in an urgent, serious tone. She laughed in response. He reached out with his metallic arm.

"Nope! You have to come and get it!" Yuffie ran into the dark tunnels.

"This is no time for games!" Vincent hurried after the young woman. "Don't play with guns, Yuffie!"

"You shouldn't play with me!" Yuffie corrected the man. "Then you lose one of your toys!"

Vincent skidded to a halt. There was a fork. He debated on which tunnel to take. He thought a moment. Yuffie had wanted to go back to where they had started. Vincent smirked as he chose the tunnel that would lead him to the way they had come from.

'He'll never win!' Yuffie giggled to herself. She approached the covered exit they had started at. The only problem was, where could she hide? A sound echoed in the tunnel, flowing towards her. Yuffie froze. It was Vincent. He sounded like he was in pain.

"Damn!" Yuffie turned quickly. She stared at her hands. She held Vincent's weapon. If he was attacked he wouldn't have enough time to defend himself. "Oh no!" she ran back down the tunnel to where Vincent would be.

"Vincent!" Yuffie screamed as she ran into the open. The tunnels on both sides forked. She had no idea where Vincent would be. "Vincent!!" she screamed loudly.

She felt something wrap around her waist. Claws dug into one of her sides, poking her flesh. She gasped in fear.

"I knew you would fall for it." Vincent's voice whispered in the young woman's ear.

"Oh! Vincent!" She growled, spinning around quickly in his arms. He did not let go. "You...jerk." she retorted softly, realizing the position she was in.

"You were scared." Vincent said. He looked down at the girl pressed against his chest.

"I wasn't..." She tried to avert her gaze from his but couldn't find the strength to.

"Really? You sounded very worried to me."

"You're picking on me again." Yuffie said in a warning tone. One hand was pressed against the man's chest. The other held his heavy gun down by her side.

"Because it's fun." He replied.

The two stood in silence a moment. They stared at each other a moment. Both seemed to have stopped breathing. Vincent hadn't realized he was holding her against him.

"Fun?" Yuffie whispered. Her eyes dropped to watch Vincent's lips.

"Very fun." He whispered, closing the gap between the two. He was centimeters away from her.

'Oh my god!' Yuffie's thoughts exploded as did something else very close by.

"Ah!" She shrieked and toppled to the ground. She felt something heavy land on top of her. The tunnels and platforms shook. "What was that!?" she hollered.

Vincent lay on top of the girl, his arms and hands protected her from falling debris.

"Vincent?" Yuffie called out the man's name. His face was to the side of hers. They were even closer than before.

"You alright?" He asked her. The man turned his face, not expecting her to be so close.

"..." She nodded quickly. Vincent repositioned himself so he was directly on top of her. He looked down at her.

"Sounded like an explosion." he state the obvious.

'Why won't he get off?' Yuffie wondered.

"Yup..." hers eyes darted to the side and back again.

They stared again. The tunnels were silent. Vincent was about an inch away from the girl's face. He watched her carefully. She could feel his heart pounding. What was wrong with this man? He kept eye contact as he softly brushed his lips against hers. Yuffie had barely even noticed. He raised his head quickly, leapt upwards, grabbed his weapon and ran down the tunnel.

'What the hell was that!?' Yuffie got to her feet. She was dizzy. 'Did he...Vincent Valentine...just kiss me?' she let out a giggle as she followed down the same path as Vincent.

"Hey!! You two around here!?" Cid's voice echoed down the tunnel.

"It's Cid!" Yuffie exclaimed.

"Damn right it's Cid!" the pilot replied. "Get yer asses' out of there! We've got other people to rescue!"

The smoke cleared rather quickly. Yuffie could see light at the end of the tunnel, surrounding the pilot's silhouette.

"Cid! You rock!" Yuffie sprinted past Vincent and ran into the pilot, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You saved us! You actually came back to save us!"

"Of course I did! Now get offa me!" the pilot pried her arms off. Yuffie's next target was the other man.

"Vincent! We're saved!" She leapt into him as well.

"Red and Barret?" Vincent asked. He didn't pay any attention to the young woman hugging him.

"They went down the other tunnels to find the others. We have dynamite and lotsa rope! We're goin' to get everyone outta here." Cid stared at him and Yuffie. "Erm...you seem to have a leach on you."

"Yeah...seems that way." Vincent looked down at the woman. "Yuffie. We have to save the others. I'm sorry but you'll have to let go for a while."

'For a while? That doesn't mean let go forever!' The girl grinned, releasing the man.

"Oh...and we've got some bad news about Shelke and Cait Sith." Cid remembered.

"Shelke!?" Vincent stepped forward. "What happened?"

* * *

"Zack!!" Aeris screamed as she ascended the levels, darkness surrounded her.

"ZACK!!" she sobbed, not wanting to know what Sephiroth had shown the man.

"Where are you! Help! Zack!" she trotted up a stairway and turned the corner to run down the next path. She yelped as she ran into something.

"..." She stared at the man before her. Zack stood solid, his arms crossed. His blue eyes glowed brighter than she had ever seen before. He was angry, she could tell.

"Zack." She whispered. There was a lump in her throat.

"..." he glared at her.

"It wasn't me." She shook her head.

"It's never you." his voice was cold and barely audible.

"I...I'm sorry. I have a lot to tell you, but I'll have to tell you later."

"You'll tell me right now." the man snagged the woman's wrist. He squeezed it. Aeris winced in pain. She felt chills run down her spine. Was this Zack?

"I, I can't!" She sobbed. "We've got to go right now! Sephiroth's coming!"

Zack's eyes widened at the mention of Sephiroth's name. He glanced at Aeris' hair. The materia wasn't there. He had watched her place it in her hair earlier.

'She's not Aeris.' He glanced at the sword in her hands. 'It's Sephiroth! He's playing the same trick on me!' Zack stumbled backwards. He turned and ran down the path. He had to warn the others, to get away to an open area in order to fight the man.

"Zack!" Aeris called out.

"Stay away! You bastard!" Zack called out.

'I have to get to a safe location. I need space to fight him.' Zack thought as he made his way up the stairs to the top level.

"ZACK!?" Aeris followed after him, dragging the sword behind her.

'What is wrong with him?' the woman growled in frustration as she ascended the second staircase to the top level. She felt something rush past her.

"Going somewhere!?" Sephiroth's voice called out to her.

"No!" Aeris watched as the silver haired man darted around her and up the stairs after Zack.

"I'll throw him to his death!" the man's voice echoed behind him as he vanished from view.

'I've got to hurry!' Aeris followed in pursuit.

* * *

"Zack!" Tifa's voice called out.

"Run!" Zack called out. "Sephiroth's coming! He's going to kill us all!"

"What!?" all of the group was waiting for Zack on the other side of the broken platform. Zack stared at them all.

'Yuffie, Vincent, Cloud, Tifa, Red, Barret, and Cid.'

"Where's Aeris!?" Zack called out.

"We can't find her!" Cloud called back.

"You lost her!?" Zack growled.

"What?" Cloud asked. He felt his chest tighten.

"You know what I mean, you bastard! I saw you two together!" Zack cursed.

"I..." Cloud frowned. Tifa stared at the man.

"What's he talking about?" She put her hands on her hips.

"Who cares!? Get yer ass over here!" Cid pointed to the rope tied across the broken pathway. Cid had used one of his tiny helicopter robots to fly the rope to the other end. Zack stared at the rope a moment and leapt down, sliding across to the other side.

"There she is!" Yuffie pointed.

"Shit!" Zack raised his eyes to see Aeris dart out of the tunnel.

"Zack! Wait!" She screamed. He noticed the materia in her hair and the fact that she wasn't holding Sephiroth's sword.

"Aeris! Climb across! Hurry!" Zack called out as he climbed up onto the platform on the other side, joining the others.

"O, okay!" Aeris nodded quickly.

"What?" Tifa exclaimed. Everyone stared as a second Aeris came into view behind the other. Quickly the second woman raised the sword into the air and drove it through the back of the other woman.

"Aeris!!" Zack and the others called out.

'It's my fault...I couldn't find her!' Cloud fell to his knees.

"Aeris!" Zack watched in horror as history seemed to repeat itself yet again. The sword glimmered as crimson blood dripped down the blade.

"You asshole!" the second Aeris screamed as she drove the sword in deeper.

"I will...kill you all!" the first Aeris dropped to the floor. Her body twitched and convulsed.

"What's going on?" Zack asked as the stabbed Aeris transformed into something else.

"That's not Aeris!" Red XIII exclaimed.

"Sephiroth!" Zack stood quickly. Then he realized. He had run away from the real Aeris in the tunnels. He slapped his head, feeling like a complete idiot.

"Aeris! Get over here! Quickly!" Zack waved for her to come across.

A loud wailing sound erupted from down below.

"What the #& was that?" Cid looked over the edge.

"It's a monster!" Aeris hollered. She stepped over Sephiroth's body and reached for the rope.

"Monster!?"

"It's WEAPON!" Aeris screamed.

The group watched a giant, winged monster fly out of the dark depths below.

"Meet your doom!" Sephiroth screamed in fury.

"Aeris!!" Zack reached out, knowing he was too far away to save her. Sephiroth grabbed the woman's leg and pulled. She fell over the side of the platform, Sephiroth holding onto her ankle.

"AHH!!" She screamed. "Zack!" her arms flailed.

"No!" Zack began to crawl onto the rope but was pulled back by Vincent.

The giant beast growled in fury and flew down at light speed towards Sephiroth and Aeris. Its drool covered fangs were about the size of Zack's sword. Sephiroth's head turned upward. His eyes widened in fear as the beast's enormous mouth devoured him and the platform he was on. His hand had released Aeris' ankle and she flew downwards, once again, into the darkness. Her scream echoed endlessly within the cavern.

"Aeris!" the group called out.

The giant beast fell, hitting every platform on its way down. Aeris flew down by it's side.

"The bigger they are..." Cid muttered as he watched the monster disappear. He looked up at the ceiling cursing himself for not being able to save Aeris.

"Aeris!" Zack continued to reach. His mouth gaped open in disbelief. He had the chance to save her but had run instead, thinking she was Sephiroth. "I'm an idiot!" he punched the rock beside him.

He sat on his knees, curled in a ball and hitting the ground before him.

"It's my fault! I could have saved her!" Zack growled.

"It's not your fault, Zack. No one could have saved her. No one knew where she was." Tifa held back the tears in her eyes. "I'm sure she'll be alright."

If only they knew that Zack did have a chance to keep her safe.

'I thought she was Sephiroth...I thought she was him!' the man held back a sob. 'I'm an idiot!'

"Hurry! Before that thing comes back! We've gotta find her!" Cid grabbed his rope and threw it over the edge. "Move it!"

* * *

Aeris' body was limp and cold. About every bone in her body seemed broken. Zack lifted her carefully from the ground. She bounced with each step he took, no air escaped her lips. Her golden bracelets were crooked, twisted, and broken. They clanged together in a different pitch than usual. The sound was haunting to the man. He held onto her body tightly as he ascended the rope. He said nothing, his face held no emotion, his mind was blank. The group helped Zack into the plane with the woman. No one wanted to be the first to speak. He placed her body onto the soft white mattress of his bedroom as Cid placed in the coordinates to the hospital in Mideel.

"What...what's wrong with mother?" Kadaj's voice broke the dead silence.

That was all he needed to hear. Zack broke down, on the floor, in front of the entire group.

* * *

AVALANCHE waited for hours before the doctor had left the emergency room. He remembered Cloud from before and the deeds done by the group to save not only Mideel but the entire world from WEAPON and meteor. He worked all night before releasing any information to them. Zack and the others waited for him in the waiting room of the now large hospital.

"She's alive." the doctor stated. Everyone sighed with relief except Zack. The doctor only said alive, what about alright?

"I'm afraid, however that the young woman is in a very bad coma. We were not sure if she would come out of it alive or not." the doctor explained. "We wanted to wait until she seemed stable enough before we came out to tell you the news."

"Will she be alright?" Zack asked in a low voice.

"Depends on what you mean by alright. She has suffered a lot of head trauma. As for her bones and internal injuries, everything should heal just fine." the doctor yawned. "I will talk to you more about it tomorrow. I suggest you get some rest. We all need it."

"Can I see her?" Zack asked impatiently.

"I'm afraid not, young man. She's far too critical to have any visitors right now. We'll see how she is tomorrow."

A day had gone by and the doctor was ecstatic about Aeris' progress. All of her wounds were healing rather quickly thanks to her abilities from being a Cetra. However, because of her constant regeneration abilities, her mind wasn't getting enough rest. The doctors began to worry. Zack waited all day long, everyday, for a week for her to wake up. The doctors were beginning to get skeptical.

"Her wounds are almost healed...it's just her mind is overworked. We think she may never come out." The doctor placed a hand on Zack's shoulder. "We don't want to get your hopes up, but we don't want you to be devastated either."

"What's going to happen to Aeris?" Zack asked. His eyes were red and bloodshot, from lack of sleep and the tears he shed.

"We're afraid...the chances of her coming out of the coma are very slim...she may die any day now."

"Aeris..." Zack placed his head into his hands.

"I'm sorry, son. If you would like, you can go see her." the doctor left the room.

Zack stood from his seat in the waiting room. He entered the tiny white room Aeris was in. She was camouflaged in the room, her skin being pale and her body covered by a white gown and sheets. The only thing that stood out was her brown hair.

"Aeris." Zack sat in the chair next to the bed. He gripped the woman's hand. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If I had trusted you, had listened to you, you wouldn't be here right now. We would be eating dinner somewhere, celebrating." his voice was hoarse and raspy.

"You got him. You were able to kill him, Aeris. Sephiroth was wounded. He couldn't get out of the way. WEAPON swallowed him whole and fell to its death at the bottom of the cavern. We saw it ourselves."

Tears stung the man's eyes.

"You were strong. You were able to make it out of there alive. You've been healing yourself, Aeris." He took sharp breaths between his words, more quiet sobs came out as he talked to her. "They say you may not come out of this alive. You may die." he kissed her hand.

"But I don't want you to die. I'm not ready for anything like that. You can't leave me. I wouldn't be able to move on." Zack brushed the tears from his face. He sighed irritably, not wanting to seem so weak. "Tifa said she's going to take you shopping when you come out of this. Cid will fly you to anywhere you want to go. Yuffie will take you to her Wutain ceremony. Barret will buy you flowers. Red will give you a book he's made about the Ancients. Vincent will play you a song on the piano..." Zack let out a soft laugh at the thought. "And Cloud and I will take you out on a date to the Golden Saucer, Cait Sith...well the new Cait Sith, will tell your fortune and Kadaj said something about a gift he found for you."

The man rambled on about all the things Aeris will have to do when she wakes up.

"There's so much that you'll never be bored. You'll always have someone with you. And I...I'll never leave your side. My hands will be stuck to you..." Zack leaned across the bed, his arms laid across hers. "My lips will never leave yours..."

The man prayed the rest of the night, trying his best to heal Aeris, to get her to wake up. He can understand the Ancients, is now considered to be one. He would pray like Aeris does, to make sure she wakes up.

* * *

"It's a miracle!" The doctor's voice called out into the waiting room. The entire group stirred from their drowsy state. "She's awake!"

"What!?" Cloud sat up, nudging Zack. The dark haired man sputtered and jumped from his chair.

"Aeris! The young woman is alive and well!" the doctor exclaimed.

"Aeris..." Zack ran into the room.

"W, wait!" The doctor stammered. "There's something very important I shall tell you first!" the rest of the group ran in after Zack, ignoring the medic.

"Aeris!" Zack burst through the door. He froze.

Aeris was sitting up in bed. She was holding an iris, smiling. Her long dark hair swirled around her. The window was open and bright sunlight flooded into the room. Her eyes shown brilliantly, they had an ethereal glow. She was an angel. Zack gawked at her beauty another moment and lunged forward.

"Aeris!" He laughed in disbelief. "You're alright!" He kissed her cheek. His hands ran all over her feeling her warm body. "I can't believe you're alright! We were so worried!"

Aeris grinned at the man as he gawked over her. She smiled at the large group crowded in her room.

"Hello." Aeris giggled.

"They all have waited for a long time." the doctor entered the room. "Aeris I believe you're going to have to hear lots of stories today."

"Stories?" Cloud asked.

"Where's mom?" Aeris asked.

"Mom?" Zack lunged back. "I'm sorry Aeris, I didn't even think to get a hold of your mom."

"We didn't know where she was." Tifa lowered her head.

"Oh..." Aeris gave a confused look.

"I need to tell you all something-" the doctor began.

"You feeling okay?" Zack grabbed her hand. Aeris smiled awkwardly at the man, as if she was uncomfortable around him.

"I think so..." She nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, but...who are you?" the woman asked.

"..." Zack pulled his hand away. His heart froze. "Wh...what?"

'Who am I?'

"Do I know you?" Aeris squint her eyes, scrutinizing the man. Everyone in the room either gasped or stared in disbelief.

"I tried to tell you." The doctor spoke up. "She has suffered from a severe case of amnesia."

* * *

Okay! I have to end it here! This chapter is a bit longer than the others, to make up for it being late. What do you think? Thanks for reading and reviewing. -Annubis


	14. Chapter 14

Hello! Instead of reading my humanities homework on Marx…I'm writing this chapter! I'll read about marx later! Thanks to those who read and reviewed the last chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it! Im excited because now I have a new turning point that leaves me open to so many more options! Anyways, trying to get used to my new keyboard here so I'll try not to make many mistakes, as this thing allows me to make spelling errors easily for some reason. Too close together or something. Hope you enjoy this new chapter! –Annubis

* * *

The decision between life or death:

A second chance.

**Chapter 14**

"Amnesia?" Zack backed up against the wall of the tiny hospital room.

"When will she be able to remember?" Tifa asked quietly.

"There's no telling." The doctor shook his head. "It could take weeks, months, years, or possibly never."

"Never!?" Zack exclaimed.

"You'll just have to be patient and wait to see what happens. The best thing you can do now is talk to her. Tell her some things about her past. This may trigger something in her memory. Try taking her to places she's been but does not remember." The doctor suggested.

"I can't believe this." Zack sighed.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Cloud asked.

"Um…I don't know." She shook her head slowly.

"What day is today?" the doctor asked.

"I'm not sure. My birthday's coming up!" She grinned.

'That's not right. Her birthday isn't for months.' Zack frowned.

"How old are you going to be?" the doctor stared at the charts beside the woman's bed.

"Seventeen…" Aeris frowned. "That doesn't sound right at all!" she stared at her reflection in the tiny mirror beside her bed.

'Seventeen!? That means…she doesn't even remember anything at all! To her, we haven't ever even met!' Zack rubbed his forehead.

"I'm sorry." Aeris lowered her head. "I don't mean to be so much trouble."

"You're no trouble!" Tifa smiled. "It was all an accident, I'm sure you'll remember everything in no time!"

"Of course! Who can forget all the things we've been through? I bet you'll begin to remember things by tonight!" The young ninja girl beamed.

"I hope so." The green eyed woman smiled. "I'll try my best."

"How do you feel Aeris? Do you think you can walk around a bit?" the doctor asked.

"I feel fine. I would love to get some fresh air if that's alright?" the Ancient stared out the window beside her.

"That would be a great idea. Just don't overdo it. You need your rest." The man in the white lab coat helped the woman from her bed. The nurse opened a small cabinet and pulled out Aeris' clothing. The Cetra eyed the outfit curiously, not recognizing it.

"I won't be long." Aeris grinned. The group left the room, giving her privacy to change into her clothes.

"I wasn't expecting this. Not at all." Zack shook his head.

"I think everything will turn out alright in the end." Tifa placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Hey. Why don't you join her outside? You can explain things to her, refresh her memory."

Cloud fidgeted uncomfortably. He worried about Aeris very much. Because she didn't remember anything made Cloud very nervous. She obviously did not remember their date together, the times they shared and the conversations they had had. Deep down, he felt a jealousy towards Zack being the only one with her at the moment. Of course the events that happened in the cave were still fresh in his mind. Aeris had kissed him and said that she loved him, and now she remembered none of her feelings for the man.

"I'm goin' back to my ship. I'll make sure everything prepared so we can leave as soon as she's ready." Cid waved a hand and headed out the door.

"Maybe then we can go on that vacation you girls were talkin' about." Barret smiled. He loved the idea of relaxation, though he did miss Marlene. "Maybe I should bring Marlene."

"Naw! Don't worry about it. I'm sure Reno and Elena have everything under control with those two. Besides, you would like to have a little fun on your own I bet." Yuffie smirked.

"True. I'll have to bring Marlene a nice gift so she won't get mad at me." Barret pondered.

"Vacation?" Cloud eyed Tifa.

"It's a great idea! We won't have to worry about the kids. I'll call Reno and let him know about what's going on. I'll tell him it's an important mission. Besides, we can show Aeris all the places we've been and see if she remembers anything." The dark haired woman grinned cheerfully.

"What about my delivery…" Cloud began.

"No work, Cloud! Fun!" Tifa put her hands on her hips.

"If you say so…" the blonde nodded.

Zack stared out the window. "Can I and Aeris visit my parents?"

"…" Tifa and Cloud stared at each other a minute.

"I think that would be a good idea." Tifa nodded. "They were devastated to hear the news about you and Aeris."

"I'll take her there later, after I tell her everything." The Ex-SOLDIER said to himself more than to anyone else.

"Did I keep you all waiting?" Aeris' voice rang out in the waiting room.

"No." Cloud shook his head.

Aeris stared at the man a moment. He was new to her. This man wasn't as tall as the other man with similar, dark hair, but they both shared a lot of the same characteristics; glowing blue eyes, spiky hair, muscular physique though the blonde was bit thinner than and not quite as muscular as the other and similar body postures. She blushed, thinking of how she could have possibly encountered these two men.

"Zack will take you outside if you don't mind." Tifa spoke up. "He can explain things to you and answer any of your questions." The blonde gave Tifa an aggravated look. She stuck her tongue out at him. Her actions shocked him. Did she know what he was thinking?

"Zack?" Aeris glanced at Cloud.

'Maybe he's Zack…' she grinned. 'Or maybe the other one. Either way, I'll be alone with one of these studs.' She then eyed another man with dark hair whom had a metallic claw. The thought made her nervous. Lastly was the tall man in the corner with a gun arm. 'What have I been up to?'

"I'm Zack." The man with dark hair held a hand out to her. Aeris turned to Zack. Her eyes stared into his a moment. She was intrigued by the mystical glow.

"Hello." Aeris grabbed his hand, shaking it lightly. "I'm Aeris." She had an astounded look on her face. "But, of course, you already knew that!" She laughed nervously, her cheeks turning red.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" The man asked awkwardly.

"Sure." She giggled. "But what about everyone else?"

"We're going to get the ship prepared for departure. I'm also going to see about getting some dinner." Tifa grinned. One of her favorite hobbies was cooking.

"Oh." Aeris grinned. "That would be lovely. Should I help?"

"No! Don't worry about a thing! We'll handle it all. You need to relax." The woman answered quickly. "Come on, Cloud. We've got a lot of things to do before the end of tonight."

'Cloud. His name is Cloud.' Aeris took mental note of the blonde.

"Oh, and my name's Tifa!" the woman shook her hand. "We're good friends! I'll take you shopping sometime."

"I'm Yuffie! That's Vincent and that's Barret." The ninja girl pointed around the room. "Cid's in the ship. You can meet him later. Cait Sith and Kadaj are there as well."

"And I am Nanaki. You can call me Red XIII…or Red." The fiery red beast walked up to the woman.

"Amazing!" Aeris crouched next to the creature, running her fingers through his mane. "You can talk…I'm sure you get that reaction a lot."

"It's alright. I am the last of my kind, so it's expected for people to be surprised when they hear me speak."

"Well, let's be off." Tifa rushed to the door. "We'll talk later, Aeris! Zack you behave around that young lady, you hear me!"

"Behave?" Aeris turned to the blushing man.

"What? Well, I…Tifa!" Zack watched the door to the hospital slide shut, leaving him alone with the now curious Aeris.

"Are you a trouble maker?" Aeris leaned forward, scrutinizing the man.

"Something like that I suppose." Zack rubbed the back of his head. "Anyways…let's get some fresh air."

"Sounds like a plan." Aeris nodded. The two headed outside to the center of Mideel. As they headed for the outskirts of town, Zack explained where they were and what had happened to Aeris.

"I fell?" the woman stared at the giant waves of the ocean. "That far?"

"You gave us quite a scare." Zack glanced at the wide eyed woman. "We…thought you were done for."

"If I wasn't an Ancient I wouldn't have survived." She sat on a log, kicking her boots off.

"But you're safe now and that's all that matters." The dark haired man stared at the lowering sun on the horizon. He took a deep breath, smelling the salty air.

"I suppose." The woman sighed. She raised her sand covered feet to set them on the log and rested her head on her knees.

"You suppose?" he looked at her curiously.

"I want to remember things." She said quietly. "And I'm sure everyone else wants me to remember as well. I feel like such a bother, not knowing anything about my past with any of you."

"We'll make sure you remember, I promise." Zack sat down next to the woman. She watched the breeze shuffle through his hair.

"I want to remember everything now." She said irritably. "Who knows what I'm forgetting. There can be something extremely important that I don't remember." She eyed the bent bracelets on her wrist.

"You shouldn't worry too much. If you try too hard you may only make things harder for yourself." Zack said quietly.

"Like these!" she raised her wrist. The bracelets clanged together. "I don't remember these, but for some reason I feel they are very important to me, like something I could never get rid of even if they are broken."

"You wear those all the time." Zack informed the woman. "I think they are your favorite jewelry."

"Where did I get them?" She asked. Zack held his breath.

He didn't want to tell her that they were from him. He didn't want her to know that they had a relationship in the past. He wanted her to figure things out on her own. With her forgetting everything she'd be able to figure out what it was she truly wanted. He was interested in her reactions to him and Cloud. He wanted to know if she had any feelings for him, if she could ever form them again for him or if she would choose Cloud instead.

"They were a gift." He said.

"A gift? For my birthday?" she spun them on her wrist.

"Something like that." Zack nodded.

"Who gave them to me?" She stared at the man curiously. There was something in her face that made him worry.

"I…I'm not sure." He lied.

"Hmm." She stood from the log, feeling the texture of the sand. She grinned widely. "I don't remember the last time I left Midgar. I haven't been outside and out from under that plate in ages."

"You always did enjoy going to other places. You hated it under that city." The man said.

"Where have I been? What places have I been to?" She danced in the sand, twirling back and forth.

"You've been around the world, to many places." Zack chuckled softly. "You always spoke of returning to those places."

"I would love to go!" she was excited with the idea. She hopped up and down and grabbed the man's hands. "Zack, will we be able to go to these places? All of us? I would love to travel the planet once again with all of you."

"Without the threat of being killed…" Zack sighed. He plopped into the sand.

"Killed!?" She held her hands against her chest.

"You may seem surprised by it but you saved the planet." Zack smiled at her.

"What!?" Aeris fell into the sand before the man. She leaned forward, staring into his eyes. "You're not serious!?"

"One hundred percent serious." Zack nodded. "There's this man, Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth!?" Aeris gasped. "He's that great war hero, right?" she giggled.

"That's right." The man said slowly.

"I remember! One day he bought a flower from me!" she laughed to herself, staring at the orange colored clouds. "I was blushing for a day after that."

"…" Zack sighed. He brought his gaze to the sky as well. "But he isn't the same. You remember the old Sephiroth."

"Old Sephiroth?" her head whipped downward.

"We went on a mission to Nibelheim. He went crazy, killed everyone and burnt the village to the ground. He found out he was one of Hojo's experiments." Zack explained.

"You? You were there?" She asked. Her eyes widened once again.

"Um, yeah. I was in SOLDIER." The man scratched his head.

"SOLDIER!?" Aeris hopped on her knees. "You were in SOLDIER!? No way! I bet you're so strong!" she poked him in the chest. She felt the chiseled muscle beneath his long sleeved shirt. Her cheeks turned a shade of pink.

"One of the best!" the man stood. He leapt onto the log beside them. "I was SOLDIER, First-Class. I was the fastest, the strongest, and the…" he thought a moment.

"The greatest SOLIDER in the entire world?" Aeris stood. She giggled as the man nodded his head quickly.

"Of course! I worked beside Sephiroth! I worked beside Angeal and Genesis! I fought in many countries and trained daily!" He lifted a stick from the ground. Aeris giggled with delight as he spun and stabbed the stick into the air. He showed off his skills as the girl clapped her hands.

"Sounds like you were the best!" the woman trotted across the sand to keep up with the energetic man.

"But…" He stopped; the stick fell from his hands. "Those days are long gone."

"What happened next?" Aeris asked.

"I tried to fight the man…but I lost." He clenched his fists. Aeris bent down and picked up the stick from the sand. "I was too weak to beat that monster. The man who planned to destroy the planet, who killed our friends and family, who killed us…"

"What?" Aeris stared at him in disbelief.

"Um…nothing." Zack turned to her quickly. "I was just thinking out loud."

"Cloud." Aeris spoke up. She twirled the stick in her fingers.

"What about him?"

"Is he in SOLDIER too?" She stared at the man's clenched jaw.

"Yeah." Zack nodded. "Well he was an MP. He tried hard to be in SOLDIER. He and I are best friends."

"Really? So you've known each other for a long time then?"

"For about 10 years now…" Zack nodded. "Damn, I'm just getting too old."

"How old are you?" the woman asked in an interested tone.

"Only about a year older than you." He glanced at her. He had no idea how old he was anymore. After being dead for a few years, he didn't necessarily age. He decided to go ahead with his birthday. "I should be about 28 by now."

"You don't know for sure?" the woman tilted her head.

"Well…no I'm 28. I just have been through a lot; it's hard to remember sometimes."

"Wait…so that makes me 27!?" Aeris pulled the man to a stop.

He stared down at her, watching her green eyes. The setting sun cast a red-orange glow across her face. The cool breeze twisted her hair about her. He very much wanted to hold her in his arms at that moment.

"Yup." He nodded. He actually was getting close to 24 and Aeris was on her way to 23 if they didn't count the years they were dead.

"I don't feel that old." She muttered.

"You don't look like it either." Zack smiled. "You look just like you did the day I met you."

"Really?" she began walking towards the water. "And how long have we known each other?"

"Oh um… how long?" he laughed nervously.

'Let's see. I've known you for almost 10 years now. We dated for a majority of that time…' the man debated with himself as the woman gave him another curious look. 'Damn it, I can't say that. It could cause tension between us if she knew we dated. It would put her in an awkward position…and now she's staring at me like I'm a complete idiot!'

"A few years. Cloud and I met you during the time we fought Sephiroth and prevented him from destroying the planet. You helped with that. Because of your abilities you cast Holy which kept a giant meteor from hitting the planet." Zack rambled on about their past journey. He talked about Sephiroth's crazy attitude, Jenova, Cloud and the others, and about the new information about the Ancients and the city they found. Aeris was very excited to hear this news and was very happy to know that Hojo was no longer around.

"Sounds like I've been doing a lot these past years." Aeris stuck her toe in the cold water. She squealed and drew it back quickly. "Cold!"

"Cold?" Zack asked. He raised an eyebrow as an evil plot began brewing.

"The water is freezing!" Aeris pointed at the ocean. She screamed as a wave washed upon the shoreline and crashed against her ankles. She turned to run away from the next wave but was caught by the arm.

"Scared of the water?" Zack asked.

"Let go!" She shrieked as more water hit her legs. Zack chuckled as she lifted her into the air and carried her in his arms.

"What are you doing?" she panicked. "Let me go!"

"Nope." Zack smirked as he took a few steps into the ocean. Aeris kicked her feet quickly, trying to get away.

"You're an evil, evil man!" the woman shrieked. This only made Zack laugh harder.

"Ready?" He asked. His lips were close to her ear. Aeris shivered. She looked up at the man. His eyes glowed brighter as the sun lowered. There was a tiny scar along his chiseled jaw line. His dark hair hung in front of his eyes a bit as a gust of wind blew around them.

"Don't you dare!" the woman glared.

"It's only water!" he stared at the approaching waves in the distance.

"_Cold_ water!" She struggled to get out of his arms.

He held onto her as a wave crashed into his legs. The cold water splashed upwards, spraying the woman in his arms. She squealed once again and began slapping him on the chest.

"I will kill you!" She screeched, laughing. Even though she couldn't remember the man, she felt deep down that she knew him. She was completely at ease with him and did not mind one bit being in his arms.

"Kill me? Can you take on someone who was in SOLDIER?"

"You don't want to see me angry! It's scary." She giggled.

"That ain't no lie." The man took another step into the water. He didn't care about the ice cold water that now soaked his pants.

"Please don't." the woman begged.

"Here it comes!" Zack watched as a high waved came pummeling toward him.

"No!" The woman screamed. "Please don't! ZACK!!" her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck. Her head nuzzled against his neck.

The man turned around and leapt high into the air. Aeris yelped as he flipped and landed softly on the sand once again. He held onto the girl for a second, watching her. She opened one eye at a time and glared at the man.

"Put me down." She hissed. Zack frowned and quickly set her on the sand. She turned away from the man and began walking away.

'Oops…went too far.' The man ran after her.

"Aeris! Wait!" he called out. "I'm sorry! I wasn't going to drop you! I swear! I was only picking on you!" he was worried. He had no intention of letting her leave angry with him.

"Aeris. Please…" He reached out for her as she picked up her boots. She spun around quickly and launched the shoes at the man. He dodged them with ease. He looked back at the items as they dropped to the sand. Next thing he knew he was stumbling backwards.

"You jerk!" Aeris shouted as she shoved him numerous times. "You are such a jerk!"

"Wait! Ow! Hey!" the man stumbled as she repeatedly pushed and hit him in the chest. "I said I was sorry." He regained his balance. He stared at the woman before him and gave her a puzzled look. She was smiling.

"Tifa said you had to behave." The woman grinned.

'She's not mad?' he smirked nervously as her grin turned into one that was mischievous. 'Uh oh.'

"You're in for it now!" She laughed as she leapt onto his chest, knocking him to the ground. Sand flew into the air as he scrambled to get away. She cackled loudly as she chased him towards the water. He twisted and turned away from her, escaping from her very easily thanks to his training in SOLDIER. "No fair!" she huffed and puffed.

"You're getting outta shape." The man stood with his hands on his knees, the water right behind him. Aeris smiled and then looked into the sky.

"Oh my-!" She gasped. "What is that?!" she held her hand to her lips. Zack felt a chill run down his spine caused by the look of fear on her face. He twisted his head to look up and behind him, still leaning on his knees. Aeris darted for the man and shoved against his shoulders. He lost his balance and toppled backward, completely off guard. He splashed into the icy water and muddy sand.

"Aeris!" he shouted in shock. His hand wrapped around her wrist and quickly tugged her downward with him.

"No!" She screamed as she plopped onto his chest. She felt her legs immediately ache from the cold water that soaked through her clothing.

'COLD!!' She shivered.

Zack chuckled underneath the woman. He ignored the water that now drenched his clothes. Aeris lifted her head slowly. Her gaze was locked in his. The sun was almost gone. Purple clouds floated overhead. Zack's eyes glowed like a cat's. She shivered once again, this time being cause by his shining orbs. His hand was around her waist. The woman stared a moment longer before she tried to sit up. With a red face she quickly got to her feet and ran to the sand. Zack sat up quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. He came to his senses and finally realized how much his body hurt from the freezing water.

"You're trouble, I know it." Aeris said as she shook her head back and forth. Her wet strands of hair stuck to her body.

"That was all your doing." Zack pointed a finger at her.

"Excuse me? You started it!" She put her hands on her hips.

"Yeah but I apologized and look what I get!" he turned around, displaying his wet outfit.

"You get a wet butt!" Aeris giggled.

"That's right!" the man nodded. "Wait…so you were looking at my butt?"

"No!" She turned away, covering her face. "You need to be quiet."

"Quiet?" The man acted offended.

"Yeah!" She turned towards him and lifted her chin. "Or you'll feel my fury once again."

"I'm so scared!" he waved his hands in the air, mocking her.

"That's it!" She slapped him repeatedly against the arms. He laughed at her which only made her angrier. She shoved him once again. For her amusement he fell over in the sand. He rolled backwards and got back to his feet.

"You're vicious!" he laughed at her.

"That was only a sample of my monstrous strength." She said sarcastically. The woman grabbed her boots and carried them as she walked. She shivered; the cold water was having its effect on her. She suddenly felt very tired.

"Cold?" Zack asked her. Without waiting for her to answer, he ran his hands down her arms. "Sorry, I shouldn't have pulled you into the water."

"…I shouldn't have pushed you in." she watched his hands as they gently ran over her. "Though you did deserve it."

'This guy is _so_ cute!' Aeris mentally giggled to herself. 'But I better be careful. I don't want to do anything weird…or make him feel uncomfortable. Maybe I have a boyfriend. Oh my!'

"Zack?" She asked.

"Yeah?" He said. She felt butterflies in her stomach as he spoke.

"Do I have a boyfriend?" she asked softly.

"…" He thought a moment. The last thing she ever really said to him was that she didn't love him. He figured that meant 'no'. "Nope. You're single."

"Oh…" She lowered her head. She seemed a little disappointed by Zack's answer.

'He's probably dating Tifa or somebody else. I've never been good with the boys. I knew it was too good to be true to be traveling the world with someone like Zack.' She felt her heart skip a beat. A giggle escaped her lips. 'Maybe he and Cloud are gay…'

"What's so funny?" Zack asked.

"Oh, nothing. Say…" Aeris lifted her head to look up at the man. "Is Cloud gay?" she couldn't help but ask.

"What!?" Zack asked incredulously. He let go of her arms. "Are you serious!?"

"I'm just curious!" the woman laughed. 'What a stupid question, Aeris!'

"Well…" Zack began. "There was this one time with him and a dress."

"What!?" she cackled. She wasn't serious at all, but maybe she was right.

* * *

"AHAHA!" Tifa covered her mouth to suppress her fit of laughter. "My only regret was not having a camera!"

"Does he still own it?" Aeris giggled.

"Can we talk about something else?" Cloud asked, irritated.

The entire group sat at the table enjoying a home cooked meal made by Tifa. The airship's coordinates were set to go to Wutai. Soon they would be at Yuffie's home for holiday. Tifa shared with Aeris the story of their adventure in Wall Market.

"I don't know!" Tifa turned to Cloud. "Do you still have that horrid looking thing?"

"…" Cloud shifted uncomfortably.

"What!?" Barret and Cid sputtered on their tea.

"You still have that thing!?" Yuffie choked on her food.

"…No." Cloud tore his eyes away from their stares. Aeris smiled at his gesture. She thought it was cute.

"Bullshit!" Cid pointed his fork at the man.

"I don't!" Cloud pouted.

"Then why'd you hesitate?" Vincent retorted.

"Vincent!? Why does everyone have to make fun of me for that?" Cloud rolled his eyes.

"Ohhh…" Tifa purred. "Poor Cloud! He did it to save us girls!" She winked at Aeris.

"Cloud had to dress up as a girl in order to save us!" Aeris nodded. "It was a very noble and….unique idea, Cloud."

"It was _your_ idea!" Cloud pointed at the woman.

"Me!?" Aeris laughed. "You serious?"

"Yes!" Cloud poked the vegetables on his plate.

"I think it was the greatest idea in the entire world!" Tifa giggled. "He even had on lingerie!" all the men in the room burst into laughter.

"I shudder at the image in my head." Red XIII sat on the ground.

"Lingerie?" Kadaj asked.

"I'm sure Tifa could show you what that is, Kadaj." Yuffie smugly stated.

"Yuffie!" Tifa slapped the table.

"…" Cloud gawked at the woman beside him.

"So?" Tifa eyed the man next to her. "You were never home to notice." She said quickly before turning back to her food.

"Oh my…" Aeris gasped.

"That's…dangerous." Zack chuckled. "See what you're missing!?" the man wrapped an arm around Cloud's shoulder.

"I'm glad he's gone all the time. Tifa! You're not allowed to wear anything like that ever again!" Barret cut into the large piece of meat on his plate.

"I can wear what I want." The woman stuck her nose in the air.

The group joked, told stories and ate their meal peacefully. Aeris stared at Cloud. Was he upset with Tifa? Aeris wondered what their relationship was. Were they dating? Tifa had mentioned they lived together, 

but it seemed that things were not going well. Obviously, Cloud was a workaholic who loved to be alone. That was one difference that Aeris was able to pick up between Cloud and Zack. Zack was more friendly and outgoing, a big flirt. Cloud, on the other hand, was more serious. Aeris liked a man who was serious. Then he'd be able to keep her safe and not think everything was a game. She frowned. Zack was strong though, he'd be able to keep her safe, but he did like to flirt. She wondered how much he flirted with Tifa or any other women.

'This is silly, Aeris.' The woman shook her head. 'It's not like any of them would want to date me anyway.'

"Hey. You awake?" Zack's voice rang in her ears.

"Huh?" Aeris looked up. The man was leaning in front of her, hands on the table, face inches away from hers.

"You kinda spaced out." The man gave her a wry grin.

"Oh." She looked around the room. Everyone was about doing their own things and the table they sat at had been cleaned up. "Sorry! I didn't even realize."

"I figured you would be tired. Why don't you go get some rest?" Zack stood, straightening up.

'To think I spaced out cause I was thinking of boys! How on earth did I ever become responsible enough to help save the world?' the woman stood, stretching. She made a soft moaning noise.

"I think that sounds good." Aeris grinned. She was so happy the doctor allowed her release from the hospital. He figured that as long as she got plenty of rest, her healing capabilities would take care enough of her.

"Would you like me to show you to your room or have you had enough of me for one day?" the man asked.

"Sure!" Aeris beamed. Zack held out his elbow to guide her. She gave a silly laugh as she wrapped her arm around his.

"Right this way!" the man led her to the stairs and into the basement of the airship. "You've had a long day."

"Yes, I have." She nodded. "But I am ready for tomorrow already. I can't wait to hear more stories."

"If you would like, I could tell you some more." He looked down at her.

"Oh no, you don't have to do anything like that." The woman waved a hand.

"You sure? It'd be like a bedtime story." He chuckled. "But if you're tired maybe you should just rest."

"Hmm…" She looked to the side. She was very tired, but she also wanted to ask Zack more questions. She bit her lip. "Well…maybe…um, never mind."

"What?" he stopped next to a door.

"It's nothing. I'll just go to bed." She put on a fake smile. Zack knew what that meant.

"What's wrong, Aeris?" he folded his arms.

"What?" she was shocked he knew that she was hiding something.

'He really does know me.' she felt embarrassed.

"Well…maybe one tiny story." She held up her hand, her pointer finger and thumb were held apart about an inch.

"All you gotta do is ask and Zack will make sure you get what you need." He bowed to her and opened the door. She raised an eyebrow at him and entered the room slowly.

"You're a cornball." She shook her head from side to side; her bangs flopped in front of her face.

"It's all part of my charm." He stared at her; a boyish grin crossed his features.

'Is he really as old as he says? He reminds me of a teenager.' She slightly lowered her head and looked up at him; she bit her lip trying to hide her smile. The look she gave him was like a weapon. He stared at her, his lips parting. He felt his heart pounding. It had been a long time since he and Aeris spent any time together that didn't involve arguing.

"Charm?" She asked.

"Am I not charming?" he questioned.

"Why do you ask?" she held her hands behind her back.

"…" She had turned the question around on him and put him on the spot. "Um…because you blush every time I talk to you." He pointed to her cheeks.

"No I don't!" She covered her face.

"You do, and you're doing it now!"

"Stop it!" she slapped his hand away, giggling.

"You also giggle, nonstop."

"I don't!" she turned away.

"Do I make you nervous?" He asked.

"No." She turned to the man, a smug look on her face.

'What's that look?' he gave a sideways grin.

"You want me to be like this, don't you? You like to tease the girls. Make them blush, make them giggle, it's all a part of your plan." She crossed her arms and tilted back her head to stare at him in the eye. "You're just a big old flirt."

"Flirt!?" he shrugged.

"You heard me." She poked him in the chest.

"Well what about you? You've been flirting back just as much." The man leaned down, bringing his face in very close to hers. Aeris stepped back.

'What am I doing? I've just met this man and I'm acting like a complete idiot.' She shook her head. 'What if he's trouble? Maybe he's one of those weirdoes who like to flirt and try to get in bed with the girl? Then he'll leave and act like nothing ever happened.' She turned away and headed for the bed.

"I think I should get to bed." The woman fidgeted.

"Did I say something?" Zack asked. He had a worried expression. "Make you uncomfortable?"

"No. You didn't do anything." she insisted.

"O, okay…" the man turned to the doorway. "If you have any questions about anything you can just ask me alright?"

"Okay." She bobbed her head up and down.

"See you in the morning." Zack shut the door behind him. It clicked softly.

"Oh, Zack-?" she called out. The door flew open quickly and the man's head popped through the hole. This brought another laugh from the woman. "Why are we going to Wutai?"

"Holiday, to celebrate both Yuffie's birthday and her becoming Empress of her country." The man informed.

"Oh…Empress?" she thought a moment. "She's so young."

"She's really nervous. I think she's mostly excited though. She gets to take you there and she's about to go through a major event in her life. It takes a lot of responsibility." Zack mumbled. "Anyways, anymore questions?"

"Nope." The woman smiled.

"Ok." He poked the side of his head. "Remember…just ask." His head left the room in a flash and the door shut behind him once again.

Aeris listened to the silence for a couple of minutes. She removed her clothing and hopped into bed. Her thoughts jumbled in her head.

'Why do I feel like this around you?' She sighed and dropped her head into her pillow.



* * *

Ok! That's the end of this chapter. Threw in a little Zack/Aeris romance. It's been quite a while since I've had any. Expect a lot more to come in the next few chapters! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	15. Chapter 15

**Please Read First:** Hey guys, sorry about the delay. Trying to keep up with all the work ive gotta do and writing this. Not many reviews lately. Ive seemed to be struggling with this story. I don't seem as motivated for some reason and I know the first one was a lot better. Sorry! Im trying my best to kick it up a notch and make it more interesting and adding in more romance for you all, but not getting reviews doesn't help. Let me know if im on the right track. What do you like, don't like? More action? More dialogue? Anything youd like to see happen between characters or events? Let me know, your guy's opinions are what makes me a better writer and I want this story to be as enjoyable if not more than the first! Thanks! –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 15**

"So, you're going to be empress of your country?" Aeris asked the exhausted Yuffie. The woman looked out the window, staring at the nearing country of Wutai.

"Erm…something like that." The young girl held her stomach. "I've been called many things: princess, duchess, empress, brat. You know pretty much any title. More like being the head of my clan. My father is a lord. As I get older he keeps bugging me to learn to be a better ninja. That's why he insisted on me joining with Cloud and the others." The young woman sighed and sat on the floor.

"Sounds like a lot of responsibility." Aeris crouched down looking at the very nervous girl.

"It is. I'm not ready for it. But my birthday's coming up and my father insists on me going through the ceremonies so I can take over for him in the future." The girl groaned, holding onto the sides of her head. "Cid! Haven't you learned to fly this thing yet!?"

"Shut yer trap! I'm the best pilot there ever was! You don't like it, I can boot yer ass out. You can swim home." The pilot spat.

"I hate that man sometimes. " Yuffie struggled to keep her breakfast down.

"You get airsick?" Aeris asked.

"Yeah. Damn Cid's flying always makes me sick." The ninja rolled her eyes. "Last time I listen to Zack."

"Zack?" A smile crossed the woman's face.

"Told me to eat breakfast. Said it'll help." She scoffed. Aeris giggled. "What?"

"Oh nothing…" She waved her hand.

"You laughin' at me?" the ninja asked sourly.

"No! I was just laughing about Zack's poor advice." The green eyed woman giggled.

"You're blushing." Yuffie pointed.

"No!" she covered her cheeks. "Am I really?"

"You are always blushing lately." Yuffie laid her head on her knees. "Always when you're around him."

"Well...I…." the Ancient stood quickly. She glanced back out the window. Wutai was very close. She could see tiny dots roaming on the land. "It's nothing, really."

"Really?" Yuffie stood. She smiled as she saw the snowy linen land. "I'd say it was something."

"Ok." Aeris grinned. "He's cute."

"Only cute?" Yuffie pried.

"Oh it's none of your business!" The woman nudged the younger, giggling.

"Fine! Don't share anything with me." Yuffie stuck out her tongue.

"I barely know the man. It's nothing but a school girl crush."

"So you do have a crush on him." Yuffie said smugly.

"And what about you and Vincent?" Aeris eyed the girl.

"What!?" the brown eyed girl turned to her. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I think you do." Aeris sang. She had seen the two talk for hours the night before, Yuffie giggling and blushing herself the entire time.

"There's nothing between us." The future ninja clan leader folded her arms. Her pouty face quickly turned into a frown. "Even if there was, there shouldn't be."

"Why is that?" she asked curiously.

"…My ceremony." Yuffie turned her back to the woman. "Requires me to find a husband."

"Oh no!" Aeris gasped. She looked about the plane, not sure what to do. "Have you told the others?"

"No." Yuffie faced her, a fake smile plastered on her face. "I'm sure it's not a big deal. My father probably found me someone wonderful."

"You don't even get to choose?" she twirled a finger in her brown locks.

"He has to be approved." The girl glared at the wall across the room.

"…Is there no way around it?" the Cetra asked.

"Probably not." She pushed herself away from the window. "It's not a big deal. It's been done this way for centuries."

"What if you talk to your father-?"

"It wouldn't matter anyways. I don't have anyone lined up that I would prefer." The girl headed for the stairs. "I'm going to get my things. I'll see you later."

"Ok…" Aeris hung her head. She glanced out the window. Tiny white flakes bounced against the glass. It made her smile, not remembering the last time she had seen snow.

"_Everyone gather yer thangs! We'll be landin' in Wutai in a few minutes!"_ Cid's accent rang out over the intercom.

"Will, will I be able to leave the plane this time?" A voice asked from over Aeris' shoulder.

"Kadaj? Of course! Why wouldn't you be able to?" the woman was shocked by the young man's question.

"I always have to stay here. I don't think they trust me." Kadaj glanced over his shoulder. He saw Cloud and Zack at the top of the stairs having a conversation. "Especially them."

"Zack and Cloud?" the woman leaned to the side to catch a glimpse of the two men.

"Yes." He leaned in close and whispered into her ear. "Especially Zack. I think he hates me."

"Why would you think that?" she gasped.

"The way he looks at me and yells at me. He tells me to stay away from you." Kadaj looked off to the side, his brows furrowed.

"Stay away!?" the woman stared at Zack uneasily. "Why?"

"I think he's jealous." Kadaj smirked.

"Jealous?"

"He doesn't like me talking to you. He's trouble. He's trying to keep me away from you." The silver haired man stared at Aeris, his eyes full of sadness.

Aeris looked back and forth between Kadaj and Zack. She felt lost as to what to do. Kadaj seemed innocent enough to her. Why wouldn't he be able to join the others on their journey? Why would Zack be jealous of him?

"I'm sure there's some explanation. Zack doesn't seem like the type to…yell." Aeris chewed on her nails.

"It's all an act." Kadaj growled. "He's different when you aren't around. I…I think he's crazy!"

"Crazy!?" Aeris backed away. Zack certainly didn't seem crazy to her at all. "Kadaj, I don't think-."

"Don't be angry with me." The man grabbed her hands. "I don't want to get in trouble. I shouldn't be talking to you. They may yell at me again." He shivered.

"They won't yell-."

"Cloud…he'll kill me again! He'll do it all over again if I ever did anything wrong to you." Kadaj whimpered and turned from her quickly. He darted to the corner of the room.

"Kill!? Wait! Kadaj!" her heart pounded inside her chest. "What's going on!?"

"Aeris!" The two men called. They waved her over to them. She reluctantly approached them.

"Y, yes?" she muttered.

"What's wrong? You not feel good?" Zack questioned.

"We're landing. Why don't you get your things? You always did like Wutai. We will be staying here for a few days so we'll all stay at an inn." Cloud explained.

"Kadaj too?" she rattled off quickly. She wrung her hands.

'Why is she so nervous?' Zack raised an eyebrow.

"…Sure. I think it will be fine." Cloud nodded slowly. He kept his blue eyes on her as he did so.

"Ok." She smiled. "I'll get my things then." She walked between the two men and skipped down the steps cheerfully.

"What was that all about?" Zack scratched his head.

"I have no idea." He eyed Kadaj suspiciously. "Did he say something to her?"

"I don't like having him here, Cloud. I don't think we should have brought him with us." Zack cleared his throat.

"I don't like it either, but Aeris would have it no other way. You know how she is. I doubt because she lost her memory she would respond any differently if he left him behind." The blonde frowned.

"She'd really freak out on us, wouldn't she?" the black haired man sighed.

"Who would?" Aeris' voice called out.

"Huh!? Oh that was fast." Zack laughed nervously.

The woman stood at the top of the stairs. Her arms were full of her luggage, her hair a mess in front of her face. She was a shade of pink as she struggled to lift the items over the last step.

"I got up early this morning. I was so excited. I packed everything up immediately." She grinned.

"Let me help!" Zack grabbed one of the bags while Cloud did the same with the other.

"Seems you're packed to live here." Cloud smirked.

"Oh! Well, you never know how many layers you'll need when it snows." Aeris giggled. "Besides I have some empty space for souvenirs."

The two men looked at each other a moment and laughed. They certainly weren't used to going places just to relax. Souvenirs were something they never thought of.

"Perhaps I should have packed more then." Cloud kicked the small bag at his feet. "I'm used to only packing the essentials."

"Did I pack too much?" the woman blushed.

"Nope! You're just thinking ahead." Zack shook his head. "We never get to go on vacation, so this is something new to Cloud and I."

"Never get to go on vacation? Really? So you two never got time to enjoy the locations you journeyed to?"

"Nope. We were always on missions." Zack shrugged.

"Or chasing Yuffie…" Cloud shook his head.

"Chasing Yuffie?" Aeris walked with the men towards the door of the cabin.

"Long story. We'll talk about it over dinner." Cloud smirked.

"Oh! Dinner! I can't wait! I've never had Wutain food before!" she clapped her hands.

"Jackets!" Tifa's voice called out.

"Uh oh. Mother…" Zack grinned.

"Someone's gotta watch over everyone and make sure they don't catch colds." She threw the men's coats at their faces. "I'm not takin' care of you if you get sick." She placed her hands on her hips.

"Hmm." Cloud set his luggage down as he complied with the woman's demands.

"Here's your, Aeris." Tifa grinned. "I can't wait to go shopping!" She squealed. "The stores here are amazing! You're going to love it!"

"Really! How exciting! And the food?" she rattled off questions as she put on her coat.

"Your favorite!" the other woman headed for the door. She pulled it open, letting in a flurry of flakes.

The sight was breathtaking. The foreign trees and buildings were lit up with orange lanterns. The snowflakes glimmered like glitter as they fell upon the village. Aeris smiled, thinking it looked like everything was covered in sugar.

"What an amazing place!" Aeris hopped into the snow. She glanced upward at the sky, something she felt she hadn't really seen in ages.

"Everyone says Wutai is beautiful this time of season." Yuffie led the group through the town. "I don't think so. I hate the cold." Her voice was bitter.

"It is very beautiful. Even more so than the last time we were here." Tifa had visited Wutai a couple times over the years, but it mostly was during the same time of year. She had always been around when it was smoldering hot. Yuffie often left her village around the time of her birthday to visit Tifa in Edge.

"The inn is up ahead. There should be plenty of room. I called up in advance to make sure you all had the best rooms possible." Yuffie placed her hands on her hips. "You won't have to pay, either."

"Won't have to pay!?" Zack cheered.

"That's great! Thanks, Yuffie!" Tifa clasped her hands together.

"Shall we go then?" Red XIII headed toward the building.

"Go on. I'll meet back up with you later." Yuffie waved.

"You're not coming?" Aeris asked.

"Nope." She shook her head. "I…need to stay with my father during this time. We have many things to go over while I'm here."

"…" Vincent eyed the girl suspiciously. He could tell there was something wrong.

"Will you be able to join us for dinner?" Shelke asked. It was the first words Shelke had really spoken since the accident.

"…Dinner will be held at my estate. Please come by around six." Yuffie smirked. Her tone and gestures were very different than her usual behavior.

"We'll see you at six-o'clock then." Cloud nodded. With a wave, Yuffie turned and darted down the snowy path towards her father's home.

"Her estate? Then that means we'll get to meet her father?" Aeris asked.

"We've already met her father." Vincent replied. "But yes, you'll be able to meet him again."

"Oh…" Aeris chewed on her lip.

"Hmm I wonder what'll be for dinner?" Zack muttered. He daydreamed as the luggage in his hands began to drag in the snow.

"_I wish I could be there with you all."_ Reeve's voice sounded through Cait Sith's PA system.

"You're voice changed." Aeris stopped and lifted the cat from the ground.

"_Hello, Aeris. I have heard about your accident. I hope you remember everything soon."_ Reeve said. _"For your convenience, I'll reintroduce myself. My name is Reeve. I was once a member of the Turks. I met up with you all years ago on your first adventure. Cait Sith is a robot I made. He is used for undercover work. Through him I can see everything that happens and I am able to communicate with you all, like I am doing right now."_

"I see." Aeris nodded. "Sounds convenient." She carried the cat in her arms. She didn't know what to think, knowing Reeve was once a Turk. She knew it had been years since she last could remember anything, but she still couldn't help the distrust she held for the man.

"_I'll keep in touch. I would very much enjoy hearing about Yuffie's ceremony. Pick me up a souvenir will you?" _

"Sure thing!" Aeris beamed.

The group entered the building where Yuffie had reserved rooms. It was very pagoda-like and touched the sky at about seven stories. It was extravagant and painted in rich colors. Golden statues of gods and creatures lined the walls. Out of season plants were kept neat and tidy around the small fountain in the lobby and corners of the room. No doubt a place meant for royalty or snobbish rich nobodies who thought they were somebody. Aeris marveled at the beauty.

"Amazing!" She gasped, afraid to touch anything.

"Sure is!" Tifa stared at the details in one of the sculptures.

"May I help you?" A rich voice sounded from behind the counter.

"We are Yuffie's guests." Cloud stated. The man gave him a distasteful look, obviously from the informal way he spoke of Yuffie.

"Yes. I remember her making reservations for you all." The man opened a large book and jotted down something in a different language. "She reserved the entire seventh floor for you all. You have your own choice of rooms. It overlooks the entire city. All royalties have been paid for as well; unlimited room service and you have access to the spa."

"Spa!?" Tifa squealed. "Yuffie's outdone herself!"

Zack cheered at the unlimited room service. He was throwing himself a party tonight.

"Spa…" Shelke smirked. "Seems unnecessary."

"Nothing's unnecessary when you're on vacation." Aeris grinned at the girl. She grabbed her hand. "You should go shopping with Tifa and me! We'll get swimsuits!"

"Swimsuits!?" Shelke glanced around at the men in the room. The thought made her very uncomfortable. She may have mentally been about twenty-one but her body was only that of a nine year old.

"Of course!" Tifa and Aeris grinned. Shelke didn't like the idea. She knew those two women only wanted to cause trouble with the boys. "Come on! Let's pick out our rooms!" the women grabbed each of Shelke's hands and led her up the stairs to the top floor.

"Seems they are enjoying themselves." Vincent stated.

"So…" Zack rubbed the back of his head. "Think we'll see them in their suits?"

"…" Cloud eyed the man a corner of his lip lifted.

"Don't think about it." Barret folded his arms.

"Sheesh. You're never any fun anymore, Barret." Zack placed a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Yeah. You need to relax a bit." Cid drawled. "Though I doubt Shera would appreciate me tellin' her that I was hangin' out with a buncha young girls in the hot tub."

"You think they allow 'pets' in there?" Red asked.

"No!" the man behind the counter eyed the beast on the floor as soon as he heard the last comment. "No animals allowed. Please take that thing out of here."

"But he's part of our group!" Barret slammed a fist onto the desk.

"No pets allowed." The man was not shaken at all by Barret's protest, which upset the large man very much.

"Excuse me, but I am not a pet of any of these people." Red XIII growled. "I belong to myself."

"Who?" the man looked down at the beast as he stretched and placed his front paws on the desk, looking up at the man. "You?"

"You heard me." Red looked at the man with his good eye. His fiery tail twitched impatiently.

"You talked!" the man pointed.

"Yes. I think we've established that." The animal dug a claw into the wooden surface.

"B, but its policy."

"I am sure Yuffie would be very upset with the treatment my friend has received here." Vincent pulled the flap of his jacket out of the way, revealing the silver glint of his revolver. His golden claw sat next to Red's repeating his previous actions, digging the pointed tips into the surface.

"My mistake!" the man shut the book. "I'm very sorry for the trouble. Miss Yuffie did not mention one of her guests was…one like that."

"Can you give us all a call when it's a quarter till six?" Red asked as he headed up the stairs.

"As you wish." The man bowed. The rest of the group said their thanks and headed up the stairs as well to pick out their rooms.

During the rest of the day the girls ran around Wutai shopping at every store they could find. They tried on the silk robes and dresses covered in foreign symbols and designs. They visited the small market on the edge of town and tried out as many spices, cheeses, and fruits as they could fit in their stomachs. Tifa was so enthralled by one of the wines she decided to spend twice as much as she originally wanted for the drink. When they were finished for the day they ventured back to the hotel and spent the afternoon at the spa, getting their nails and hair done, massages, and bathing in the hot spring. They were almost disappointed when it was time to head to Yuffie's estate for dinner. As they reached their rooms, excitement once again took over them, discovering brand new dresses on their beds sent by Yuffie's father to wear to dinner.

"Aren't they lovely!?" Tifa ran out into the hall and jumped into Aeris. The two women giggled and grabbed each other's hands.

"It is something I'm not quite used to." Shelke muttered as she stared at the long silk sleeves of her dress.

"But it looks perfect, Shelke. Do you not like it?" Aeris stared at the small girl's frame.

"No, I do like it very much. I've just never been able to wear anything like this…or do what we did today." The girl, for the first time the ladies had ever seen, grinned. "It was the most fun I've ever had!"

"Look at you ladies!" the women turned towards the intruding voice. Zack stood out in the hall; he had Cloud by his side. The two men were wearing formal clothing suited for Wutai.

"You got clothes for dinner too?" Tifa gawked at the men. It was the first time she had ever seen any of those boys wear anything formal. Their suits were dark and lined with golden and silver designs. Cloud shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Something you're not used to?" she giggled.

"Not really." Cloud tugged on his collar. "I'm a country boy, never really had to wear anything like this."

"Well I'm a country girl and I absolutely love it!" Tifa clapped her hands together.

"You two look very nice!" Aeris curtseyed.

"Oh!" Zack and Cloud stumbled, bowing to the ladies. "You all look very beautiful! It will be a pleasure dining with you tonight." The women giggled at their awkwardness.

"I'm not really used to this either." Zack murmured. He messed up the back of his hair.

"How long do you suppose we gotta wear this?" Cid's voice called out. He walked out of his room quickly, taking long strides. His suit was decorated with blue and silver designs.

"Who cares, the food better taste as good for how dressed up we gotta be." Barret stared at his waist. His outfit was decorated with an accent of green. "Does this make me look fat?"

"Everything makes you look fat." Cid reached into his pockets, looking for his cigarettes.

"I don't mind the clothing. It does seem a little unnecessary, but I suppose it is a very special occasion for Yuffie." Vincent stepped out into the hall. His clothing was accented in a deep red. His long dark hair was kept down without his typical red headband.

"…" Aeris frowned. She remembered the situation Yuffie was in. While they all were having fun, Yuffie was getting ready to marry a man she most likely never met.

"Even I had a gift awaiting me." Red XIII padded out into the hall. His mane was decorated in a bright yellow and black headdress, fitting his tribal style. His neck was adorned with a similar collar. "It really is too much."

"You think it's too much? Look at me!" Cait Sith barged out into the hall. He had a shiny new crown on his head and a matching cape. "I look like a king!"

"Um…" Kadaj's voice sounded. "Did I put this on right?" he stumbled into the hall. His clothing was black and white. His hair was pulled back out of his face.

"Let me…help you Kadaj." Aeris giggled. She walked up to the man and helped him with his buttons and ties.

"We probably should hurry. We may be late, and that would be rude of us after accepting such gifts as these." Vincent strode down the hall.

The group was brought to the center of the city where Yuffie's estate was by carriage. Everyone was expecting to walk. Once again, the girls were ecstatic while the men cleared their throats uncomfortably, not used to living so high class. The estate was large, full of gardens. Lanterns lit up all the paths and tiny candles were set randomly amongst the statues of Wutai's religion. The hot wax spilled to the ground, dying the snow.

"Welcome." A voice sounded as the large wooden doors slid open before them. "Lord Godo and Miss Yuffie are awaiting you in the dining hall. Please follow me."

"Wow…look at this place." Tifa whispered.

"It's even more magnificent than the Inn!" Aeris giggled, placing a hand to her lips.

"They are like giggling school girls." Zack whispered to Cloud.

"At least they are enjoying themselves." Cloud whispered back.

"You're not enjoying yourself?"

"Not in these clothes." The man made a horrible face. Zack snorted.

"You don't suppose it'll be like this the entire time we're here?"

"I hope to God it's not." The blonde sighed desperately.

The dining hall had shining wooden floors. The walls had relief sculptures carved into the wood and stone, some covered in gold leaf. The table seemed to stretch for miles, lit by candles and covered with platters of food. Everyone seemed to gasp into silence at the sight.

"Guys!" Yuffie's voice called out excitedly. The young woman darted across the room. Her yellow dress had a long train and orange colored robe. She wrapped her arms around Tifa and Aeris. It certainly was unusual to see the young ninja woman in something so extravagant.

"You look wonderful, Yuffie!" Tifa exclaimed.

"You all look great!" Yuffie grinned. "Thanks…I know that all of this…fancy stuff isn't what you're all used to."

"No! It's wonderful! We're having the time of our life!" Tifa giggled. "Well at least we girls are."

"And the boys aren't?" Yuffie gave a sarcastic look.

"Um, we're really enjoying the hotel. It's just these clothes are a little…more formal than we're used to." Zack rubbed the back of his head. "But it's alright! We need to be cleaned up more often!" he laughed nervously.

"We appreciate the gifts, Yuffie. You don't have to do so much for us, you know that." Vincent bowed to the young woman. He was fitting the formal atmosphere perfectly.

"Oh…" Yuffie's cheeks turned a shade of pink. "It's just…"

"This is a very important ceremony for Yuffie. I apologize if the gifts were too much for you, but I wouldn't expect any less treatment for her guests during this time." Lord Godo approached the group. Everyone exchanged their bows.

"We appreciate it very much." Tifa smiled. "It's more than I could ever have imagined, we're grateful for your kindness."

"I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable." Godo looked at the men. "Usually the women don't mind these frivolous things, but men usually have distaste for events such as these."

"We'll be fine. For having us as your guests, it is the least we can do." Vincent stated.

"I'm glad." The lord turned toward the table. "Shall we eat then? I have important matters to discuss with all of you."

The group was seated at the table. They passed the plates to one another, trying all the delicacies placed before them. As dinner commenced they talked of their adventures to Lord Godo, also sharing the information for Aeris. Time passed and dinner came to desert yet Godo mentioned nothing of Yuffie's ceremony. The young woman seemed the more uneasy as time went by. Vincent eyed her suspiciously. Was she turning red with frustration?

"Yuffie." The man interrupted the conversation.

"hm!?" She dropped her fork, her eyes wide. She stared at the group around her, her face now contrasting greatly with her yellow dress, giving off its own heat with her embarrassment. Lord Godo stood from his chair.

"I suppose it's about time I told you all about this ceremony." He cleared his throat. Everyone's attention was to the man. "It is the time for me to announce my heir. Of course, with Yuffie being my only child, the decision was made once my wife had died. But as formalities go, I still have to undergo all ceremonies as tradition states. Usually it is preferred the heir is male, though that's a problem." The man laughed.

'Hmm…how is it a problem she's not male?' Tifa furrowed her brows.

"But for me, I don't see it as so. It's just the protests of some past generations. They say I need to find a male suitor, but I refuse. I think Yuffie is more than capable of taking my place in the future." He looked at the young woman. She smiled back nervously, wringing the napkin in her hands. Vincent raised an eyebrow at the gesture. "I choose Yuffie to be my heir. The ceremony will take place on her birthday in two days. She will finally be at the age where she will have to choose whether or not she is strong enough to except this responsibility." He eyed her again.

"…" the group remained silent.

"This of course would require her to stay here. She won't be able to run around the world freely like she used to unless times call for it. She'll have to work every hour of the day and night. Her responsibilities will be endless…and she will eventually have to start-."

"Ah ha!" Yuffie blurted out a laugh. Everyone stared at her curiously. "Sorry…I guess I'm a little excited. You know, dad. I think you can skip all of this. I think they get the idea of what's going on. Why don't you go ahead and tell them about their part in the ceremony."

'Phew…' the young woman took a gulp of the wine next to her.

"Our part?" Tifa asked.

"Of course, you being Yuffie's closest friends and tutors, I request you attend the event and be present for all the rituals." Lord Godo began.

"Tutors?" Cid asked.

"You all taught her very much about life, survival, caring, and helped her mature and grow wonderfully as both a woman and as a ninja. Of course, you will have to once again be asked to wear something you are not used to, I hope this isn't a problem." He continued. "They will be ceremonial robes but you won't have to really do anything, just be present."

"Sounds wonderful." Aeris smiled. "I would be delighted."

"I'm sure you girls will love this event." Lord Godo grinned, showing every tooth.

"Tifa…You'll die when you see what you gotta wear." Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Dresses, robes, hair, makeup, the works."

"Really!?" the dark haired woman's chocolate colored eyes lit up.

"Is this okay for all of you?" Godo eyed the men. Yuffie placed her hands together and lipped 'please'.

"We have no problem at all with attending Yuffie's ceremony. Whatever we have to wear does not matter." Vincent glanced at the other men. Their fake smiles and cid's scowl were turned into nods and quick compliant answers.

"Good!" Lord Godo announced happily. "Well then. If you do not mind, I shall retire. Yuffie, you shall do the same. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." Yuffie muttered. "Sorry, but I can't join you for dinner tomorrow. I will be dining with others, but I hope you are alright with the free room service I requested. I imagine you would enjoy that more than another formal meeting." She winked.

"Sure thing!" Tifa punched the air.

"Okay… well I will see you guys in two days. I will send out a messenger tomorrow to let you all know when to come here the next day. You can stay here a while longer and check out the place. Thanks for coming you guys. I really am glad you're all here." Yuffie nodded her head quickly. She turned and left the room in a hurry.

"She seems to have a lot on her mind." Shelke stated.

"Her life is about to change completely." Cloud mumbled. "Something I wouldn't want to have. Too much responsibility."

"Strange, that coming from a man who's saved the world." Tifa gave him a smug look.

"At least I was given a choice." Cloud sighed. "Or was I?"

"You're just a good guy, that's all." Zack patted the other man's back.

"But doesn't she have a choice?" Cid asked.

"Yeah, but I don't think it's that easy." Red XIII padded to the exit of the room.

"What d'ya mean?" Cid sputtered.

"She'd have to live the rest of her life knowing she let go of something very important. Her father probably wouldn't like her saying 'no.' He's not the nicest man in the world." Tifa whispered.

"He isn't?" Aeris asked timidly.

"I thought he was cool! Every time he smiled, you could see his molars!" Kadaj stretched out his cheeks. "He looked like a shark!"

"Kadaj…" Cid patted the silver haired man on the shoulder. "You ain't allowed to drink no more."

"He's very strict. He's hard on Yuffie." Tifa explained.

"But he does it to make sure she is the one he wants to take over. He is right, Yuffie has grown. She may seem irresponsible at times, but she knows when to take things seriously. I think she has what it takes to rule this country." Vincent opened the door.

"I think that's the first time I've ever heard you say sumthin' nice about her." Barret shrugged. "I guess I never say anything nice either."

The group went their separate ways, some went back to the hotel to rest, and others explored the estate checking out the art and giant rooms. Zack somehow ended up in the kitchen.

"What are you doing in here?" one of the cooks asked.

"Oh! Um…my compliments to the chef!" Zack nodded quickly and left the kitchen. 'How the hell do you get outta here?'

The dark haired man journeyed across the hall. He figured if he followed the wall he'd find some door that would take him outside. He opened door after door finding bathrooms, more halls, the music room, and once a bedroom. Finally he found a door which led into the gardens.

'Thank you!' he looked up to the sky. He decided a small walk through the gardens wouldn't be a bad idea. He could at least figure out how to get back to the hotel now that he was outside that labyrinth called a home. He took a few steps and paused. On a bench before him was Aeris. She sat with her back to him. He smiled, remembering something he wanted to do earlier. He watched her a moment, analyzing her form. Her dinner dress was a jade colored green and made of a thick knitted material. It had long sleeves and widened below her hips. She had a pink and gold shawl wrapped over her 

shoulders. Snow flurries floated around her, some slept in her long curls of brown hair that flowed down her back. Zack shivered slightly and pulled the collar of his thick, navy pea coat. It was something like he had to wear when he became a member of SOLDIER and was required to wear his dress uniform.

"I wouldn't imagine finding you here." Zack's voice rang out.

"Zack?" Aeris turned her head quickly. He smirked at her. "I love gardens."

"Anything in particular you like?" the man asked.

"Hm…those. I've never seen those before." She pointed at a flower that grew around a pole which held a lamp. The tips were a bright red; the color faded into a light pink and then into a white as the pedals reached the center. "It's strange how they can grow in the winter time. It takes a lot of care and time to keep them alive and looking so beautiful in this weather. I love the snow, but at the same time I dislike it because it usually kills the beautiful flowers I grow. But, living in the slums, it's rare to see them anyways or keep them alive. Something that beautiful…needs so much love and care." Aeris stared at the flower.

'Like you…' Zack sighed. He stared at her neckline. The dress curved in a 'U' down below her collarbone. She wore the black ribbon around her neck.

"Hey. Do you like magic tricks?" Zack asked.

"You know a magic trick?" She giggled.

"Of course!" Zack reached into his pocket as he leaned forward. He kept his eyes on hers. She stared back in interest.

"Something they taught you in SOLDIER?" She grinned.

"Perhaps." A corner of his lip turned upward. "Clear your mind."

Aeris grinned and took a deep breath. "Ok."

"Now, I want you to think of something. Something that's important to you. Something you can't imagine living a day without."

"Alright." She gave a confused look.

"Ok. You got it? Alright. Um think of its color." Zack held his hands over his head.

"Ok." She giggled.

"You thinking hard about it?" Zack asked.

"Yup. I got it." Aeris nodded. She bit her lip.

Zack's hands flew downward. He shook them back and forth. "Are you sure you're thinking about it hard enough? Cause I'm not getting anything yet. I can't bring it to you unless you think hard about it." He smiled.

'But what I want is already here…' Aeris grinned.

"Ok. I'll think about it harder." She closed her eyes a moment. Zack quickly held a hand out to her face.

"Wait! Don't close your eyes! Was it yellow?" he questioned.

Aeris opened her eyes quickly. "Oh!" she covered her mouth. "How'd…how'd you do that!?" She stood quickly. In Zack's hand was a yellow flower identical to the ones in her garden back in her church.

"Not much of a magic trick, really." Zack laughed.

"But, it was what I was thinking of!" Aeris giggled. He handed the flower to her.

"I know!" he poked the side of his head. "Can read you like a book."

'Worked the first time the exact same way.' The man laughed.

"You can't read minds!" She gave him a tiny shove.

"No? But I just read yours." He stepped forward. He was very close to her.

"But can I read yours?" Aeris asked. Her eyes drew a line from his chest to his face. His coat collar fluttered in the wind. The scar on the side of his jaw made a line up to the serious line of his mouth, a look she hadn't seen on his face yet. His blue eyes stared intently at her. His dark hair followed the actions of his coat collar.

"Can you?" Zack asked barely audibly.

"…" her heart beat furiously in her chest. She had no idea what this feeling was. She gasped as her mind flickered and a series of images and memories flashed in an instant. The woman fell forward into Zack's arms.

"Aeris!?" he held her up. "Aeris!? What's wrong? Are you alright?" he was frantic.

"Zack…?" the woman whispered.

"Yeah…I'm here. What's up?" the man brushed a hair from her face. She looked up at his, her face very pale. He was worried about her and she knew it.

Then, the woman giggled. "Zack!" she laughed.

"What?" he straightened up as she held onto him.

"You! I remember! You fell through the roof!" She stared at the flower in her hand. Her giggle was almost maniacal. "You fell through the roof of my church! I was so scared!"

"…" his eyes darted back and forth. He stared at her, his mouth gaping. "Y, yeah….Yeah! I did! Aeris I fell through the roof of your church!"

"But…you weren't hurt?" she looked up at him, not letting go.

"No." Zack muttered. "You don't remember anything else?"

"…No…I'm sorry." She frowned, her amusement gone. "I don't remember anything else. Just you falling through the roof and lying in my garden." Tears stung her eyes.

Zack was disappointed. He didn't want to show that to Aeris. It was good that she remembered something; he couldn't be selfish for wanting more from her.

"That's great!" Zack hopped up and down. He held onto her hands. "Aeris! You remembered something. You should be happy for that." He looked down at her.

"Yeah… I suppose." She sniffled as a tear slid down her cheek.

"Woah…hey. None of that." Zack wiped her tear from her cheek. He lifted her chin. "Don't worry about not remembering things. You will. I know you will. We just have to find trigger mechanisms."

"My church. I saw that flower and it reminded me of my church. And then for some reason I remembered you." She gave a weak smile.

"I'll take you to your church, to see if you remember anything else." Zack saw her teeth chatter. "But for now I think we should get you back to the inn. It's getting cold out." The man escorted the woman to the front of the estate. Luckily, there was a chariot awaiting them to take them back. Even Zack was afraid of walking all the way back to the inn. He was getting tired of the cold already and was worried Aeris would freeze before they even made it half way there.

"I'm sorry I couldn't remember more, Zack." Aeris rested her head against his shoulder. She already felt closer to him, knowing there was a connection with just the two of them together.

"Don't worry about it. I'll see to it you figure out more things." Zack unconsciously kissed the top of her head. He froze, scared to death he made the wrong move, but Aeris did not stir. He saw her eyes were closed and let out his breath. She always was a fast sleeper.

'Zack…is there more between you and I?' Aeris' mind went a mile a minute.

* * *



Well I'm going to end it here tonight. Sorry for the delay, hope I didn't disappoint any of you! Thanks for reading and please leave me feedback! -Annubis


	16. Chapter 16

Thanks for reading and reviewing! I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! Wish I could have gotten this new one written and posted last night for all of you but other plans kept me from doing so. I have nothing else much to say, except I appreciate all the comments I get. Enjoy this next chapter. –Annubis

* * *

**Chapter 16**

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

Aeris awoke in her fancy hotel room. She snuggled the soft pillow under her head, pulling the covers around her tighter. She could feel the warmth of the fire. The soft crackling reminded her of the bacon her mother would make for breakfast. The woman opened her eyes. She had a perfect view over the snow covered city. The tiny, white, powdered orbs gently continued their fall. She smiled thinking this world was absolutely perfect, like a dream. She dreaded leaving Wutai and returning to the awful slums. Her stomach growled loudly in her spacious room.

Thinking breakfast sounded good at the moment, the woman got out of the bed. She kept the silk blanket wrapped around her body, trying to keep her warmth. She cringed at the feel of the icy floor on her bare feet. Aeris trotted across the room and slid her toes into the soft slippers provided by the hotel.

'This place is like heaven…'

Not caring for how she looked, the woman opened the door and stepped out into the hall. She noticed a few of the doors were propped open. She could hear talking in one of the rooms.

"Knock, knock." She stated before entering the room.

"Mornin'!" Cid muttered into a porcelain mug of tea. All the men were in Cloud's room.

"How you feeling?" Zack asked.

"Fine." She smiled. "What time is it?" she glanced at the television that was displaying the news. Kadaj was across the room in the corner playing a game of cards with Cait Sith.

"A little after ten. You slept in later than you usually do." Cloud squint his eyes as he stared at the newspaper in front of his face. The woman smiled.

"Having trouble reading?" she asked.

"Hm?" the blonde looked upwards at her. Zack glanced at the paper. "No…" he squint his eyes again.

"I think he needs reading glasses, but he doesn't listen to me." Tifa's voice rang out.

"Morning, Tifa!" Aeris smiled.

"Morning." The other woman replied. She stepped into the room.

"I don't need glasses." Cloud mumbled quietly. He buried his face further into the paper.

"You sure? You're getting pretty close to it." Zack folded his arms. He took a couple steps away, standing behind the man. "I can read it from here."

"I'm not blind." The man retorted sourly.

"How can he be blind? He's got them Jenova cells in him. Wouldn't that enhance his vision?" Barret scoffed.

"Maybe it's wearin' off." Cid stared at the television screen.

"How can cells wear off?" Cloud glared over his reading material.

"Maybe you're just getting old." Tifa giggled.

"Old!?" the blonde stood up, carrying the paper under his arm, he made his way to the mirror. "I'm not old."

"Damn right! If you were old, what the hell would that make me!?" the pilot set his tea down.

"Ancient." Barret rolled his eyes. "I suppose I'm getting close to that too."

"No…I'm the Ancient." Aeris shook her head. She giggled at the corniness of her joke.

"What's with all the complaints about getting old?" Vincent asked. "What would you call me?"

"Dead." Cid cackled.

"Funny…" Vincent rolled his eyes.

"At least you look young." Zack patted the dark man on the back.

"Did you all forget that I am older than all of you?" Red XIII sat up, the beads in his headdress ticked together.

"Yeah, but for your species you're young." Cid drawled out quickly. He dismissed the animal with a wave of a hand.

"Cloud's still young too." Vincent remarked. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. His metallic fingers tapped his arm irritably.

"See, I'm not old. Vincent says so." Cloud nodded.

"But it still doesn't mean you ain't blind." Barret wiped a rag over his robotic arm.

"I can see just fine. Drop it." Cloud plopped into his chair.

"Oh, poor Cloud." Aeris giggled. "Seems we've made him upset."

"No." Tifa shook her head from side to side, her pearl earrings swayed. "He's always grumpy."

"Not grumpy." He growled.

"He's irritable." Zack nodded.

"…" Cloud leaned in closer to the words printed on the page.

"Cranky." Cid pulled out a cigarette from his robe pocket.

"Touchy." Barret grinned. He could see Cloud's ears turning red. "I see red."

"Cantankerous." Vincent glanced out the window.

"ANNOYED!" the blonde yelled. He stood and left the room in a hurry. The men chuckled to themselves.

"You enjoy getting a rise out of him?" Tifa sat in the chair Cloud just left.

"It gives him character." Barret laughed.

"Is he mad?" Aeris glanced at the doorway.

"He's always mad." Cid rolled his eyes. He needs t' loosen up."

"Why is he always so…mad?" she twirled her hair.

"…" The room was silent.

"It's Cloud." Zack shrugged. "He didn't have the best past."

"He blames himself too much." Tifa looked down. She had a sad look. "For things he had no control over."

"Oh." Aeris bit her lip. "Is he okay, getting picked on?"

"He'll be fine. I did it all the time when we were in SOLDIER. I think the more we do it, the more he grows. That outburst was something he hasn't done in a long time." Zack smirked.

"Any response like that from Cloud is rare." Tifa shrugged. She gave a faint smile, as if remembering something. "It shows that he's enjoying our company."

"Enjoying? But he yelled and left the room." The Ancient was confused.

"It's kind of complicated." Vincent remarked. "I was the same way."

"He enjoys bickerin' with us. The more we do it to him, the more he retaliates." Cid puffed on his cigarette.

"You know, I thought I would eventually get used to those things but I haven't." Tifa grabbed the cigarette from the man's lips.

"Hey!" he leaned forward. Tifa held it into the air and leapt from her chair. She ran to the window of the room, shoved Vincent out of the way and skipped out onto the small balcony. "Don't you do it-." The pilot chased her.

Tifa dropped the smoking stick.

"Wench!" he growled at her.

"Shera told me personally to make sure you stopped smoking those awful things. And I agree you're going to kill yourself."

"It's my life, woman!" Cid stomped.

"…" Tifa glared at him.

"Don't give me that look. Shera gives me that look." The man dropped onto the chair. He stared at the television. "I hate you."

"Good." Tifa patted his back. "At least go outside if you're going to smoke."

"But it's freezing out there!" Cid Highwind grumped.

"It's up to you." She sang and headed for the door. "I'm getting some food. Aeris you eat yet?"

"Nope." The woman smirked at the distraught pilot.

"Let's go." Tifa walked into the hall. "Sorry, Cid. You don't like it, talk to Shera. Just doing my job."

"She's scary…" Kadaj stared in shock.

"Aye." Cait Sith nodded.

"Pfft…doing yer job." The man spat. "Why is it so important I quit anyways!?"

"Maybe because she wants you to live a longer life." Vincent pushed away from the wall. "I'm heading out for a walk."

The man put on his black overcoat. He left the room silently. Zack yawned and poured himself a cup of coffee. He hated the stuff but he decided the caffeine may help with the long day ahead.

"So…how about them thunderbirds?" Barret broke the silence, mentioning his favorite sports team.

* * *

Vincent watched the scurrying civilians rush from store to store. Despite it being a holiday, most locations were still open and everyone seemed to be bustling about more than usual. He heard a familiar voice up ahead.

"What do you mean sold out!?" a young woman's voice shouted.

"I just sold the last one, I'm sorry your highness." The store clerk bowed.

"Shh! Don't say that!" the woman groaned.

'Highness?' Vincent walked up to the cloaked figure by the store. The young woman turned around quickly.

"Yuffie." Vincent muttered.

"Vincent!" the girl stammered. "What are you doing out here?"

"Likewise…" he replied.

"Ugh. It's too busy in there for me. I feel like I'm getting in the way." She sighed.

"Shouldn't you be rehearsing or something? Does your father know you're out here?" Vincent asked. His gaze was piercing through her as if she were a child in trouble.

"No." she shook her head quickly. "But I don't care."

"Is this not that important to you?"

"No, well it is…but I just want to have a moment of freedom before I get mar-… go through that ceremony." She laughed nervously.

'What's wrong with her?' Vincent glanced up at the sky.

"What exactly do you have to do during this ceremony?" Vincent asked.

"Oh the usual. Nothing big, really. Lots of wordy things, music, material, praying, vows, you know normal stuff." She added quickly.

"I see." The man ran a hand through his long hair. "So you will be busy all day then?"

"Most likely. Why?" She questioned.

"I think we were all going to get together for lunch, not sure exactly where or when, but I figured everyone would enjoy your company."

"Oh." She lowered her gaze. "I wish I could, Vincent. But I've got a lot to do." She turned around quickly and ran into a young man that looked about a year or two older than her.

"Oh, um! You're highness! Excuse me. I didn't mean to-." The boy bowed. He was only a couple inches shorter than Vincent. His hair was black and messy. His copper colored eyes shone brightly as he looked at her. He was slender, yet very fit. He had a headband tied around his head; much like the one Yuffie would wear.

"Its fine, Rin." Yuffie sighed, almost irritably.

"Well, it was good to see you again, miss. I wish you luck in the ceremony today." He smiled nervously.

"Thanks." She said quietly as the boy ran down the path. Vincent was curious as to why she was so ill-tempered with the boy, especially one he would imagine her swooning over.

"Who was he?" Vincent asked.

"Just some boy I grew up with." The girl didn't make eye contact with the man.

"He was from the same school as you."

"Yeah. W e used to be real good friends, but once he heard that I was next in line to take over for my father we grew apart." The young girl lowered the hood of her cloak. She pulled her hair back and lifted the hood once again. "He's all formal now, never stays to talk and never visits anymore."

"Just a friend?" Vincent began walking.

"Um. Yeah. Nothin' more I suppose. It never got further than that." The woman eyed Vincent suspiciously. She secretly hoped he was jealous of the other man.

"Did you want it to go further?" he asked her. His eyes were on the sky overhead.

"What!?" Yuffie stumbled over her words. "I, I'm not sure. I mean…maybe. Who knows, why would you ask me that!?"

"Cause I like making you uncomfortable." Vincent smirked.

"I hate you sometimes, you know that?" she pouted.

"I don't doubt it." The man grinned. His white teeth matched the snow on the ground. He rarely smiled like that.

"Well you should." She replied unexpectedly.

"I should?" he looked down at her.

"I need to go, Vincent. I've been gone way too long. Father has surely found out by now. I'll see you all this afternoon." With that the woman darted down the path towards her home.

"Yuffie." The man reached out but stopped himself.

'What was she saying?' he turned to go back to the hotel. 'She seemed different. Maybe it's just stress.'

* * *

"Married!?" Tifa slapped the table.

"Why didn't she tell us?" Cloud groaned.

"I think she was too scared." Aeris pulled on her fingers, a nervous gesture.

"Married!?" Tifa repeated the word again. "I'm gonna kill her!"

"It would seem she didn't want anyone to know." Shelke kicked her feet back and forth.

"I figured I'd tell you all since her father never got the chance to during dinner the other night." Aeris pushed her empty plate away from her.

"She interrupted him…" Zack rubbed the back of his neck. He let out a slow breath. "She didn't want us to know."

"But why?" Tifa rest her head on the table top.

"Who knows." Cid cursed. He tugged on a cigarette and headed for the door. "I'll go outside Miss Tifa. I need this."

"Maybe she was worried we would try to do something." Red XIII suggested.

"Like stop the ceremony!?" Barret growled angrily. "Damn right thas what we gonna do!"

"We can't do that." Tifa shook her head. "That'd be awful. It'll only make things worse for her."

"We wouldn't want to cause a scene." Shelke agreed.

"Why can't she decide on whom to marry?" Zack asked.

"That's not how things work around here." Cloud stood from his chair he glanced at the clock. "Anyways, it's too late now. It's about time to head over there. I imagine it'll take a long time to get prepared for this thing."

"Where's Vincent?" Zack asked. His blue eyes widened. 'Oh shit, does Vincent know?' Zack wasn't sure if Vincent would care or not but Zack wasn't that dense. He could tell he and Yuffie had grown a little closer since the accident in the City of the Ancients. He swallowed hard, he couldn't imagine what he would feel or do if he found out Aeris would have an arranged marriage.

"He never came back from his walk." Red XIII stretched on the floor.

"…" Tifa felt her heart jump in her chest. 'Would he be upset?' she hadn't thought of it before, but she hadn't been paying much attention to the man and lately he and Yuffie had been spending some time together.

"We can't wait for him. I'm sure he knows what he's doing." Cloud nodded. "In the mean time, let's get ready."

The group went up to their rooms, leaving the restaurant. Vincent had promised to meet them for lunch and the fact that he hadn't made the others worry a bit.

'Maybe he already found out.' Tifa sighed. She grabbed a few personal things and headed back down the stairs to meet everyone in the lobby. When she got down Vincent was already there. A carriage was out front like the night before.

"We must hurry." Vincent nodded. Tifa could see in his eyes that there was something bothering him. She figured he must've found out somehow. She debated on asking him.

"Vincent…" she began. He looked at her with his shining red eyes.

"Hey! There you are! We were lookin' fer ya!" Cid hopped down the steps. "Bout time you got yer ass here. I wasn't going to go out looking fer ya in this weather." A toothpick in his mouth bobbed in his lips. The others followed behind him one after another.

"The carriage has been waiting for a while. I hope we are not late. Yuffie would not be pleased with us." Vincent headed for the carriage. "Sorry I missed lunch. I met up with Yuffie in the street and we talked a bit. It made me later than I had planned."

"You saw Yuffie?" Tifa asked.

"She wanted to get away from the house for a while. She seemed very stressed and wanted to get out for some fresh air." Vincent informed. His eyes held an unreadable emotion.

'So he did see her. He must know then.' Tifa decided not to push on further more.

"Let's go!" Aeris grinned. She loved riding in the carriage.

The journey to the estate was long and in silence. No one dared to bring up the previous conversation. They did not want to get worked up over Yuffie getting married. Tifa didn't want to bring up anything in case Vincent actually did not know. Who knows how he would react.

"I hope it isn't too long." Barret groaned.

"Even if it is, we will have to live through it. She needs us to be there for her, it's a very important moment in her life." Vincent stared out the window of the carriage. He watched the fluttering snow. Everyone glanced at the man uncomfortably.

"I'd say." Cid snorted.

"I just don't get it. Does she really have to go through with it?" Zack crossed his arms. He breathed heavily in protest.

"Of course. Regardless of whether or not she's prepared, I think she needs to go through with it. It takes a great responsibility but I am sure everything will turn out fine in the end." The red eyed man nodded to himself.

"How can you say that?" Zack slapped his forehead. "I can't imagine going through what she is right now."

"This is the way her country works, therefore she knows of her responsibilities and what actions need to be taken in order to care for her country." Vincent went on.

"Zack…she made her decision. If she wants to go through with it, then let her." Cloud said monotonously.

"I'm happy for her. She has made a good decision." Vincent replied.

"…" everyone remained silent. The gates to the mansion opened slowly.

"…You do know about everything, right?" Red XIII asked.

"What do you mean?" Vincent glanced at the animal on the floor of the carriage.

"Welcome!" Lord Godo's voice interrupted the stagecoach. "I do hope your ride was a pleasant one! Please come in!" he opened the door.

Everyone exited the mobile and followed Godo indoors. All around servants and guards hurried about trying to prepare for the ceremony. There were tons of flowers, cakes, and other delicacies rushed from room to room inside the house.

'Looks like a wedding…' Vincent eyed the sight curiously.

"We must hurry. Time is short and the ceremony will begin in a few hours." Godo stood with his arms apart. Two servants, one a man and the other a woman, stood on either side of him. "Women over here, men over there. You will be guided to your locations to be dressed and prepared for the ceremony. Afterwards you will meet up in the ceremony hall." With that the man turned and hurried up the magnificent staircase.

"This way!" the man and woman shouted and went either direction.

Aeris glanced over her shoulder. She caught Zack's matching gaze. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face.

"I can't believe it…this place is beautiful. I can't wait." Tifa whispered. "But I don't like the idea of her getting married."

"Neither do I, but I think Vincent was right. She's aware of what's going on. As long as it's her decision and she's not forced." Aeris nodded.

"Perhaps it is one of those situations where there actually is no decision." Shelke replied.

"Pressure…" Tifa clenched her fists.

"I surely hope she wasn't forced into this." Aeris sighed.

"In here!" the woman pushed open two large wooden doors. She revealed a room full of fabrics and drapery.

"Oh my!" Tifa squealed. "This is more exciting than that time in wall market!"

One by one all the maids in the room gathered by the woman's sides and began measuring and throwing fabrics over them.

"I want to get married here!" Aeris exclaimed.

"Definitely." Tifa nodded.

"Oh goodness." Shelke rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Hey watch it!" Zack's eyes about popped from his head as one of the servant's hands ran a little too high up the inside of his thigh.

"Is all of this really necessary?" Cloud asked nervously as the men measured him and threw fabrics in his arms.

"Absolutely. You are a guest of honor and here for Miss Yuffie's ceremony." The servant replied. 'We apologize for wandering hands, but we have very little time and are in a hurry."

The men were groomed and dressed in highly adorned fabrics of silk and cotton, the colors rich and traditional of Wutai.

"You sir, what shoe size do you wear?" a man pointed at Kadaj.

"I, I'm not sure." Kadaj stared at his black boots. "...I was born with these…"

"Excuse me?" the servant asked.

"Kadaj, take them damn shoes off and find out what you need to wear!" Cid cursed at the young man. "An' you were born naked! You jes don't remember."

'Strange group…' the servant smiled uncomfortably.



* * *

"Miss Yuffie, you should smile. It's your wedding day, are you not happy?" the maid pulled her hair up and twirled it in her hands.

"I suppose I should be." Yuffie frowned. "I should have told my friends…about it. I don't think they know it's a wedding."

"Oh no, they do."

"They do?" Yuffie looked up in her reflection in the mirror watching the maid.

"I overheard your friends talking about it when I was taking them to the dressing rooms." The maid smiled.

"What did they say?" Yuffie asked.

"They said they didn't like the idea of you getting married. I didn't say anything though because they are the guests of honor. But they said that it was your decision." The maid shrugged. "I think they are good friends to be worried about you."

"Yeah…they're all great friends…" Yuffie sighed.

'So they all know. And they don't have any problem with it?' Yuffie dug her nails into the chair arm she was sitting in. 'Vincent knows. What does he think about all this?'

"Sit here a moment. I need to get more bobby pins." The maid turned and left the room.

* * *

Preparations for the ceremony took nearly three hours. By the end of it all, the men were ready to head back to the hotel for the night. The ladies, on the other hand, were as excited as the day they first arrived.

Cloud and the others stood in the front of the ceremony hall by a large altar. It appeared to be a church more than anything. The door to the side opposite of them opened and one by one Tifa, Aeris and Shelke filed in. The men couldn't help their dropping jaws.

"How do we look?" Aeris giggled. She wore a green and gold ceremonial robe, underneath was layers of other robes and a dress. It was adorned with small decorative designs. The colors alternated with reds and pinks. Her hair was partly pulled up on top of her head the rest pooled around her in large, lose curls. Her lips were painted with a shiny pink paint. Her eyes were outlined, the dark line curving upwards slightly at the corners of her eyes.

"Amazing…" Zack stammered. Cloud closed his mouth quickly and nodded in the girl's direction.

"I think they're blushing…" Tifa giggled. Her gown was like Aeris but the colors were white with black patterns. She had a maroon colored under dress. Her hair was pulled and splayed on top of her head, held with a decorative stick. Her lips were a dark red, matching the dress and her eyes were lined like the other woman's.

"I feel ridiculous." Shelke sighed. Her robes were blue and silver. Her short, red hair was pulled up into a decorated bun. She had very light makeup on; tiny gems dotted the corner of her eyes, a typical fashion for young children of Wutai.

"You look great!" Tifa smiled.

Aeris glanced at the men. She smiled at Zack whom seemed very uncomfortable. They were all wearing similar clothing as the other night, just with ceremonial robes placed over the top. The blue decorative designs brought out the man's eyes.

"You all look wonderful!" Godo announced. The group turned quickly to the man standing on top of the altar. "Now, the ceremony will begin in less than an hour. You will have to remain here. Our guests will be coming in from the back. Do not worry about any of that. They will be seating themselves. All you have to do is sit here." He pointed to the piles of fabrics and pillows lining the sides of the altar.

"We just sit?" Aeris asked.

"Just sit and look pretty." Godo nodded.

The group ascended the stairs very quickly. The doors to the side burst open rapidly. A maid rushed out in a hurry.

"Sir! Miss, Miss Yuffie! She's gone!"

"What!?" the man strode over to the maid. "Where the hell is she!?"

"I, I don't know! I left the room a moment and when I came back, she was gone!" the woman fumbled for her words.

"Find her!" the man shouted. "Damn it, Yuffie! I told you not to run away from this!" He ran his hands down his face. Tifa and Aeris exchanged a worried look.

'Yuffie!' Vincent headed for the door.

"Sir, allow me to look for her." Vincent bowed. "I am sure I can talk some sense into her." Without waiting for reply, Vincent headed out the door.

"No! You must stay!" Godo yelled. "What a disaster!"

"Please. Trust Vincent." Cloud began. "He can handle things."

Vincent ran out into the snow covered garden. He hurried to the garden maze in the center. He remembered once how Yuffie would brag about how she was the only one who knew the path through the maze.

'Yuffie, you stubborn thing.' Vincent leapt upwards. He landed on top of the plant wall. He stared at the middle of the maze. He jumped from wall to wall. He made his way to the center and dropped down. The core held limestone statues of the gods from Wutai. In the center was Yuffie, dressed for her ceremony, sitting in the snow.

"Yuffie." Vincent said in a stern tone.

"Gah!" she stood quickly and faced the man. "Vincent!?"

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked impatiently.

"I…" She sniffled and wiped at her eyes, smearing the makeup a little. Her face was decorated like the other girls, except her face was painted entirely white. She had jewels and other decorations along her eyes and on her gown. The robes were gold and silver. The dress underneath was white. Her train was long and was decorated with patterns of flowers and cranes. "I can't do it!"

"Why not?" Vincent asked. "What are you afraid of?" the man folded his arms.

"What am I afraid of!? Vincent, how can you not know!? Wouldn't you be scared?" she screamed at him.

"…It takes a lot of responsibility. I know it sounds like a lot of work and you don't want to go through with it, but I know everything will turn out alright for you, Yuffie. You're strong. You can do anything." He tried his best to encourage her.

"…You think that I'll be fine?" she stared at him with a blank face. "You think this is fine!?" she went into a rage. She pounded her hand against his chest.

"What are you so upset about?" Vincent lowered his arms and stared at her in shock.

"What am I upset about!? Damn it, Vincent!" she tugged at her ornamented hair. "You are completely heartless! You do hate me, don't you!? You don't care about anything at all! Just yourself!"

"Yuffie…I-." he was thoroughly confused.

"I really thought you would bail me out or something." She breathed a laugh. "This is unbelievable."

"Why would we? We thought this is what you wanted!" Vincent held out his hands.

"What I wanted!? NO!" Yuffie held her lips together, screaming silently in frustration. "What was the kiss for?" she sat on one of the statues platform.

"Kiss…?" Vincent swallowed hard. "What does this have to do with it?"

"OH MY GAWD!!" she held her ears and shook her head. "I'm a complete idiot! I knew it! I was stupid to think that you would have feelings for me!"

"Feelings…!?" Vincent shook his head. He couldn't understand her.

"None of you care! You are just going to let me go up there and be married!?" The girl sobbed. Vincent felt his blood run cold.

"Wait-" he began.

"No! You listen!" Yuffie pointed a finger at him. "I don't know what to do! I want to care for my country but not like this, where I'm forced to go through a ridiculous ceremony that proves nothing of my capabilities of protecting my country! It's just a way for me to be bred like an animal and he'll just take over!" she shrieked in fury.

"Yuffie!" Vincent grabbed her arms. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"What!?" she glared at him. "What the hell do you think I'm talking about!? The ceremony! It's my wedding!"

"Your wedding!?" he froze. "This…today…is your wedding?" his voice was quiet.

"Yeah!" she spat out quietly and nodded her head, her eyes piercing his.

Vincent took in a sharp breath. "…Today is your wedding?"

"What? You didn't know?" the distraught woman asked sarcastically. He gaped at her and shook his head. "Damn it Vincent! You freakin' idiot! How could you not know!?" she burst into another fit of tears.

"No one told me I guess." The man stared at the ground.

"AH!" She covered her face. "Go away! Leave me alone!" she turned away and crouched in front of one of the figures made of stone. She rested her head against the side of it and sat in silence.

"It's arranged isn't it?" Vincent looked up at her. History was repeating itself to him.

"…" she didn't reply. Only nodded her head.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He rolled his head to the side closing his eyes.

"I was afraid to." she whispered.

"Why?" He walked toward her.

"Because… I didn't know what to say. How to say it…" she shivered.

"You should have told us, not left it up to all of us to guess." Vincent kneeled down beside her. She hid her face.

"I told Aeris. I thought she would have blabbed about it instantly." Yuffie sighed. "Besides the nurse said that everyone was talking about it."

"Was I the only one who didn't know about it?" he thought about the conversation in the carriage. He now understood what Zack was so upset about. "I'm a fool."

"Perhaps we both are." She muttered.

"Why would you agree to it?"

"Like I really had a decision, Vincent. You know my father. There's no way he would accept 'no' as an answer. He would surely disown me. I would never be able to show up here ever again if I refused such an offer!" she sniffed. The cold air burned her lungs as she tried to stop the sobs.

"Who is it?" Vincent asked.

"Who knows? I don't find out till I'm up there." She refused to look at him. "It's all one big surprise."

"Yuffie…" Vincent whispered her name. "I'm sorry. I didn't understand the situation. If I had known, I would have said something. I would have tried to stop this from happening." He spoke quickly.

"…" she sobbed harder.

"Look at me, Yuffie." He placed a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it away. "Yuffie!" he grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her. She was pressed against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck, crying loudly. He lowered his head onto hers.

"I don't want to get married!" she said after a minute.

"…" he remained silent, trying to pull his thoughts together. Lucrecia and he had met the same fate. She was taken away by a man that she didn't want to be with. Now, Yuffie had to go through the same thing. It was her duty, her job to go through this. He couldn't let her refuse the offer, but at the same time, he didn't want to allow anything like this to happen to her.

"Why did I have to be his daughter?"

"…I'm sorry…" his voice was dead.

"Is that all you can do?" Yuffie muttered. "Say you're sorry?"

"No." Vincent replied. She looked up at him. "I can do more, but I don't know how much it'd help." He leaned down and kissed her. She was held tightly against him, he held her hand in his. They sat in the snow, Vincent refusing to let go, to let her leave the center of the maze. No one else knew how to get into the center. She and him could stay there forever, and never find them. He knew it was ridiculous. 

Those were the same thoughts when Lucrecia left him for Hojo. He wanted to take her and run away, never to be found again. But it was Lucrecia's decision, much like how this was Yuffie's.

"It's your decision." He whispered after pulling away from her.

"…" She stared at him with hurtful eyes. "What do you want?"

"For you to decide which is more important to you." He stood slowly from the ground.

"How can I? How can I choose? My country…my entire life. Keep all that and all I have to do is marry someone I don't know. Someone I don't love. Or leave all that behind for a man…a man who probably will never love me like the woman he still dreams about, still blames himself for losing." She turned and headed down the path through the maze.

"…" his eyes stared at the stone in front of him.

"Love is something that only chains people…" she muttered bitterly.

Vincent was left alone. The figurine before him crumbled to pieces as his fist crashed into its surface.

"What is being in love without having the other side?" Vincent asked to no one in particular.

* * *

There was a gentle knock at Reno's door. The red head hurried, turning down the television as he did so. His hand dropped to the knob and he turned it quickly.

"Hi!" a cheerful voice called out.

"Hey! Elena! What's up?" he opened the door quickly, letting the woman in.

"Oh nothing, I was just thinking that maybe…" She hesitated. "Maybe you would like to-."

"Elena!" Marlene's voice called out. The little girl ran out into the living room.

"Oh! Marlene! Hi!" Elena kneeled down and hugged the girl. "You still have the kids?" she questioned.

"Yeah…Tifa's still on her wonderful vacation." Reno scoffed.

"But…I thought she was going to be back a week ago." Elena waved back at Marlene as the girl ran back out of the room. "You've had them all this time?"

"Yup." The man grinned. "Been an interesting week without you."

"Oh?" Elena perked up.

"Yeah watching the kids, cleaning, cooking and working for the boss all by myself. Kinda was lost for a while." The man headed for the kitchen. "Where has everyone been lately? I've been bustin' my ass and it seems as though everyone's on vacation!"

"Well it is that time for the holidays." Elena sighed. She sat at the chair by the bar in the kitchen.

"No kiddin. Rude left a couple days ago to enjoy Costa Del Sol. Tseng's been MIA, and you were gone on that assignment. How'd that go by the way?" he poured her a drink from the bar.

"Hm…easy. Nothing exciting happened at all. Turned out the reports were all a fake. Just some damn teenagers trying to have some fun." Elena groaned. "I'm sick of chasing phantoms anyway."

"I was just curious because Tifa told me that there was something important she had to take care of just as those reports were coming in." Reno sat in the chair next to her.

"I knew it was ridiculous. Why would Sephiroth be back? There's no reason for it. Tifa and the others would have told us something." Elena rubbed her shoulder. "All the incidents in Midgar must've just been caused by Hojo's lab finally collapsing. I'm sure there are plenty of explanations."

"Rufus gets worked up about it sometimes. I think he's looking for trouble. He seems so bored lately." The man slapped her hand out of the way and rubbed her shoulder for her. The woman groaned and fell forward onto the counter. Her and Reno had gotten pretty close over the past couple weeks.

"Where's Denzel?" She garbled.

"Staying the night with some friends. Marlene has a sleep over too." Reno stated. "I haven't had the house to myself in weeks."

"Ready!" Marlene shouted and ran out into the living room.

"Ok!" Reno turned, letting go of Elena's shoulders. She moaned in protest. "Be good, and make sure you call me if anything bad happens, alright?" he hugged the girl. Elena smiled at his gesture.

"Alright!" she beamed and headed out the door and down the stairs.

"She's going by herself?" Elena sat up.

"Yeah. It's just down the street." He pointed a thumb to the right. "She goes over there a few times a week to play after school."

"I see." The blonde smirked. "Well I should go…Like you said; you haven't had the place to yourself in weeks."

"Ah…but you don't have to go." He stepped in front of her.

"I don't want to be a bother, really." She grinned.

"What were you going to ask me when you first got here?" he tilted his head.

"Oh that? Nothing!" She walked around him. He grabbed her arm. "Elena…" he looked down at her. His red hair fell clumsily over his face.

"What?" She glanced at him uncomfortably.

"How 'bout you stay for dinner at least? I'll make it. We can talk about your trip." Reno made his way to the kitchen.

"But I already told you, it was nothing. Just some kids."

"Elena. You're making this hard for me." He stood in the kitchen with his back to her. He re-tied his ponytail.

"…" She stared at him, feeling her cheeks turn red.

"Where's Tseng been anyway?" He turned to look at her.

"Tseng?" she looked to the side.

"He's been gone for a while. Every time we get on the subject of him, you change it. What's going on?" The man put his hands on his hips.

"He's on a trip to Wutai. I don't know when he'll be back. I guess there's something important going on there that as a citizen, he needs to be there for." She rolled her eyes. Reno could see the tears forming. She refused to make eye contact.

"What happened 'Lena?" he removed his hands from his hips.

"Before he left…we had a long talk." She sniffled. "I noticed that things had begun to get rocky. We weren't talking much; he was keeping his distance…" she walked around in a circle throwing her hands about.

"…" Reno listened intently.

"He told me that we should take a break. He said that he was having a hard time, but he never would talk to me! He wouldn't say a word! Just run away from the problem." She stared at the floor, embarrassed that there were tears dropping to the wooden surface.

"Elena…" Reno sighed. He made his way to her.

"What's wrong with me, Reno? What did I do wrong? Why did he leave me?" she bit her lip.

"There's nothing wrong with you. Tseng has a lot of responsibilities. I don't think he'll ever be able to settle down as he would like. He takes his job seriously as a Turk and as a civilian of Wutai. He's constantly going between the two for jobs and responsibilities. He's always been like that." He tried to comfort her, putting an arm around her.

"So he'll never change then?" She wiped her cheeks.

"…I don't know." Reno answered quietly. "I doubt it." He tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"Ugh!" She threw her arms into the air. "The time I wasted on that man! I was like a school girl! I could tell from the beginning that he never shared the same feelings for me as I did him!" she squeezed the tabletop.

"It's hard when you love someone who doesn't love you back." Reno nodded. He turned and entered the kitchen again. He opened the fridge.

"You speak as if you had experienced that." Elena eyed him. She felt her heart pounding. Why was she scared?

"Perhaps because I have." He said nonchalantly. The man began pulling out the ingredients for dinner.

"Why did that person not love you back?" she asked.

"Hmm…could be lots of things. Maybe I wasn't prince charming to her. Maybe it was my hair, tattoos, my messy clothes. Perhaps it was my drinking. What makes a woman not like a man?" he glanced back at her.

"Perhaps…it was insecurity. Maybe she was afraid of dating someone like you."

"Afraid? Of me!?" he watched her. "How am I scary?"

"You can be a lot to handle, Reno." Elena informed the man.

"A lot to handle!" he was offended. "But what about you? You're a lot to take care of!"

"What!?" she put her hands on her hips. "I wasn't insulting you, Reno. You asked and I gave you the truth. Maybe that woman thought you wouldn't be there for her. Maybe she thought you were one of those guys who dated any girl and would hurt her in the end. Maybe you're one of those guys who can't keep a job. Would become an alcoholic, treat her badly, and make her cry!" she realized what she said and knew she had gotten worked up. She added a shrug at the end.

"…" he stared at her coldly. "But you know me…"

"I do. To an extent. I know you a lot better now than I did four, five years ago! What's a woman to think when she barely knows you?" she tried to stand up for herself.

"But I have a job. I've never lost my job!" the man shouted.

"I don't know Reno! You asked and I answered!" she grit her teeth.

"Well at least I know the answer now…" he rinsed out his glass.

"What?" She leaned forward, staring at him.

"I don't know. Sorry Elena. I shouldn't have yelled at you." The man turned back to the stove.

"I shouldn't have gotten so worked up." She nodded. "What's wrong with us? Taking our anger out on each other…"

"It's good to let off some steam every once and a while." The man smirked.

* * *

Yuffie stood in front of the enormous group of people that filled the ceremonial hall. Her face was stern, showing no emotion. She stared at the wall in front of her, squeezing the flowers in her hand. Music began, signaling the entrance of the woman's new husband. Vincent cringed at the sound of trumpets and violins. He hated being here; he hated this hall, this building, Wutai and their ridiculous rules. He would much rather be in the basement of the mansion in Nibelheim.

Aeris glanced to the side. Zack was staring at her. She grinned. He gave her a wink and looked forward as the door opened.

A man walked in. His robes were dark and light, contrasting with each other. His long hair flooded down his back like a black waterfall. The red sword he wore on his back made him look like a warrior rather than a husband. Vincent made a grunt as he saw the man's face. The man turned toward Yuffie. He looked as blank as she did. Yuffie brought her eyes to him and covered her mouth.

"Tseng!?" wide eyed, she gasped. The rest of the group followed her actions.

* * *

MWahaha! I wasn't going to have Tseng up there until I got to this part! So this chapter is a little longer than the others due to some added story. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	17. Chapter 17

Hey guys, sorry about the delay again. I was in another state all last weekend for a wedding. Had no access to a computer for more than a couple minutes. Anyways, let's get this new chapter started! Thanks to all those who have reviewed and continue reading! –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 17 **

"Tseng!?" Yuffie stood, mouth gaping and staring at the man before her in disbelief. The ceremonial hall filled with murmurs, some of confusion, others in interest at the choice of the princess' husband. The young woman looked to her father, to Tseng and then over her shoulder to her friends sitting behind her. She was glad that their faces held the same amount of shock as hers did.

"I see you've met before…" Yuffie's father cleared his throat.

"Um…" was all Yuffie could muster to say. Tseng turned his gaze to the people sitting atop the altar with him. He was more than a little shocked once his eyes fell upon Aeris.

"…" the green eyed woman stared at the man curiously. Something clicked in her mind. She felt something within her chest, a feeling she couldn't explain. Did she know this man as well? He watched her quietly; his lips parted slightly his eyes widened. The man's face had paled like he had seen a ghost. Yuffie glanced towards Aeris, trying to figure out what the look on Tseng's face was. Then she realized, Aeris was supposed to be dead.

"Are my eyes lying to me?" he whispered.

"No." Yuffie smiled at the man. "She is there."

Tseng looked distraught as he held a hand to his chest. His gaze fell upon Zack. Surely Tseng, of all people, would understand that it was capable for someone to come back to life, but the initial shock was still as apparent as any other person who saw someone resurrected from the dead.

"Shall we continue?" Godo murmured impatiently.

"My apologies, sir." Tseng turned to face the man quickly. He couldn't help but notice the red burning glare from Vincent Valentine. He was sure a hole was going to burrow through his back from those vicious eyes.

"Now. Today we join in celebration-." Godo stopped his speech as the hall shook violently. Tiny particles of dust dropped from the ceiling of the majestic room. "Now what!?"

"What was that?" Yuffie turned to her friends. The room shook again.

"Quake?" one of the guests questioned.

A loud screech sounded from outside the building. The group rose in alarm. Whatever was happening was not something caused by nature. The bride to be raised her dress and ran to her friends. Tseng listened intently. Screams could be heard from the outside.

"Let's go!" Cloud ran toward the exit of the room.

"Yuffie!" Godo hollered. "You cannot leave!"

"Watch me." The woman rolled her eyes. "If I'm to be leader of this country I need to be able to protect it."

Tseng bowed to the man and followed the woman and her friends outside. Godo watched his daughter run from the hall. He didn't chase after her, she was right after all. It was her duty. The guests all scampered and hurried to the sides of the room, screaming and shouting.

"To the basement!" Godo waved the group to follow him.

Yuffie and the others rushed outdoors. They ran out into an open spot, looking for the cause of the shaking and the horrible monstrous shriek. All around people rushed to get indoors. Yuffie glanced at the ground, feeling a drop of water slap the backside of her hand. It wasn't typical this time of year to get rain, especially in these cold temperatures. Water droplets suddenly pounded onto her and the others. They weren't tiny droplets either. Yuffie glanced upwards. She felt a shiver run down her spine and it wasn't because of the snow on the ground.

"Guys…" She stammered, pointing to the sky.

"Rain? This time of year?" Red XIII glanced upwards.

"That's not rain!" Zack cursed.

The sky rippled and distorted in a grey, blue. Water droplets fell furiously to the ground. The edge of the sky angled and dropped into the ocean in giant waves.

"…W, what the hell is it then?" Tifa watched the raging ocean. A giant tidal wave rose into the sky, rippling and folding in on itself.

A loud shriek sounded from the edge of the village, directing everyone's attention. Fear took over them all because before them stood a giant scaly beast. Its body was long and serpent like. It twisted and turned, its long whiskers matching the movement. Its piercing jade gaze glared at the group below, as if they were its target. The water dragon roared into the air.

"Leviathan." Tseng murmured.

"How!? "Yuffie turned to the man.

"Someone must be controlling it." Cloud glared. "The question is who…"

"The gods must be very displeased with us." The Turk shook his head. Leviathan was the keeper of one of the main temples of the city. The monster's job was to protect the city from the raging waters of the ocean.

"I think we should head…for shelter." Shelke stared at the sky.

"It's coming down!" Aeris gasped. She watched the sky, or rather the giant wave, fall down toward the planet.

"RUN!" Cait Sith headed for the estate. The group followed his actions. Zack grabbed Aeris arm, leading her to safety.

"Wouldn't be a good bodyguard is I left you out here." He murmured more to himself than to anyone else. Aeris smiled, she wasn't quite sure when he became her bodyguard but she wasn't going to complain.

"Come on!" Tseng reached for Yuffie.

"What…a bad omen." The young woman watched in horror as the pool of water came closer and closer to falling atop her city.

"We can discuss bad omens after we survive this." The man grabbed her hand, leading her into the building as the water flooded in behind them, crashing into the ground. The stone paths and beautiful garden disintegrated underneath the powerful water stream. Wave after wave chased them toward the ceremonial hall.

"In here!" Yuffie pried open a door from the wooden floor. She darted into the dark hole, down marble steps. Everyone marched in after her in line. "Shut the door!"

Zack reached for the handle just as water seeped into the room from underneath all the doors. He saw through the windows nothing but gushing waters. He slammed the door shut behind him and dashed down the steps, following the group through a dark tunnel lower beneath the city. He could hear the destruction overhead. Wood splintered, rock turned to powder, and glass shattered in the rooms above them.

"This will lead to the basement. It's made of stone and about thirty feet below the surface. I think we should be fine." Yuffie explained as she ran down another flight of stairs. She flinched at the horrible sounds overhead. Her home she grew up in was being destroyed. A loud crack sounded from behind.

"What was that!?" Tifa looked back. Water flooded into the tunnels, chasing them. It gushed and splattered against the walls, creating more waves. It was as if the water had a mind of its own. "Faster!" she screamed and ran past the bride.

"Hurry it up!!" Cid spat.

"Almost there!" the ninja girl ran into the large, steel door in front of her. "Open!" she pushed on it frantically. She felt cold water wash over her ankles.

"Shit!" Cloud pounded on the door.

"Watch out!" Zack's voice hollered over the group. "Outta the way!" he let go or Aeris' hand and sprinted for the door. Giant waves rushed behind him, soaking his back. Everyone darted to the side. He passed by them all, creating his own breeze. He rose a foot and kicked with all his might at the door. A loud creak sounded as the door folded in on itself and flew halfway from its hinges. The others didn't wait a beat, they followed the man inside.

"Hope you didn't need that door!" he turned the corner and rushed down the next hall, leaving the others behind. He came to another door about as heavy as the other.

"Nope! BUT WE NEED THAT ONE!" Yuffie screamed.

The dark haired man pushed against the door, opening it quickly. He waved the others in frantically. Then he noticed Aeris was falling behind. Water kicked up to about her knees, she was soaked.

"Aeris!"

He darted back into the tunnel as the others ran past. He reached out, grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her into his own as he spun and ran into the next area. He set her on the ground abruptly and turned back to the entryway. He grabbed the door as the water rushed in. He shoved it as the giant wave pushed against the cold metal. The man stumbled backward with the door, grunting as he fought against the current. Cloud rushed to his side, slamming his shoulder into the door. It was inches from latching. The water still flooded into the room.

"Did it send the entire ocean in after us!?" Zack cursed.

"Vincent!" Cloud called over his shoulder.

The red eyed man lunged forward, kicking the door. It slammed shut abruptly, latching.

"It won't hold for long." The man with the claw stated coolly as he slid down the metal lock.

"These." Yuffie pulled from the side wall a long, thick divider. She ran across the room, the new wall barricading the door. She locked it in place on the other side and pulled another from the opposite wall, doing the same. She did this a couple more times before turning back to the group.

"I'd say that should about do it." Barret turned and headed down the next hall.

"I hope so…" Yuffie sighed.

"The basement is up ahead. There will be another set of doors to lock behind us. Better safe than sorry." Tseng informed.

They ran downhill for a hundred feet and came across another set of doors. Yuffie slammed into the door, opening it.

"Yuffie!" Godo's voice called out.

"Miss Yuffie, we're so glad you're safe!" a maid rushed to the woman.

"What the hell happened to you?" Godo stared at the group drenched with water.

"It wasn't raining when the ceremony started." A citizen added.

"…Would you believe me if I told you Leviathan decided to send a tidal wave in our direction?" Yuffie asked as she locked and shut the doors behind her.

"What!?" all the guests gasped in alarm.

"We never get tidal waves this time of year." Her father watched her curiously.

"I'm literal when I say Leviathan sent the wave." The girl turned to the man.

"You're just seeing things." he corrected her.

"I saw it myself, sir." Tseng bowed. "The sea dragon himself is on the surface and it seems that he is after us. The water is rushing in behind us."

"The gods are very displeased!" an elderly woman cried. "What a bad omen!"

"Perhaps he is upset with the decision you made of placing your daughter head of the house!" an old man replied.

"Outrageous!" Godo stomped his foot.

"Find a new suitor! Leviathan is tearing down the estate the day of the ceremony, what other reason shall he have?"

The group argued with each other over the reasons for this disaster. Some suggested a new guardian for the village, while others said it was time for the city to rule itself and not have a leader. At a time like this everyone found it their place to give their true opinions on the way Wutai should be run.

"Not in my house! No words such as these shall be said in my house!" Godo ordered. "I shall see to it personally you all get your punishment for such atrocities!"

"The Kisaragi family has lost their place in Wutai. For too long have they ruled us." A young man stood.

"You forget that we are not yet dead! As long as we live, we shall continue to rule and protect this country!" Godo cursed.

"Perhaps we shall throw you to the waters of Leviathan as a gift to the god. Maybe then we can have true peace and order!" another man shouted.

"Silence!" Yuffie screamed. "Is this the thanks we get!? We've ruled this country without mal-intent all these years. We've led you through war and brought peace, we've created a stable economy, a place where everyone can live peacefully and raise their families and you all decide the first chance you get in a state of emergency that you shall take the throne!?" the woman shouted and raged on about the disloyalties of the upper families present, the greed they all shared and the many unfair treatments she and her family had just received. Tseng stood by her side the entire time, much to her discomfort.

"Enough of all this." Vincent's voice called out over the others. "You all can discuss the unfairness of your country once we get rid of that monster out there. There are more pressing matters at the moment. If we continue this then there will be no country to protect." The man growled. The room fell into silence. Vincent refused to look at Yuffie. His eyes, instead, stared at the door opposite of the one they came through.

"…Did the water come in on your side?" Yuffie asked her father.

"I am not sure." The man shook his head. He pointed to the corner of the room, where a secret passage was. "Through there, behind that wall scroll there's a passage. You can go through there and a staircase will take you up to the top floor of the building. Without a doubt, no water got in there. The walls are three feet thick and the passage only goes up."

"We'll go up through there. We can get out from the rooftop and get that thing!" Yuffie called over her shoulder as she tore the scroll from the wall. Next to it was a rather large shuriken and a box. She grabbed the weapon and opened the chest. A smile crossed her lips. "Materia's in here. Grab however much you want, we need to be prepared." The woman walked through the passage way after grabbing a handful of the shining orbs.

"Too bad we didn't bring our weapons with us." Zack glanced at Cloud. They grabbed the elemental materia.

"Got mine." Vincent snorted and pulled out his Cerberus from the inside of his robe. "Never leave the house without it."

The group headed up the stairs to the top level of the mansion. There was a dead silence once they reached the rooftop. Yuffie gazed at the sight before her. The building had holes in the sides and half the roof was missing. The streets below were flooded and many of the homes were obliterated. She wondered how many of her people were killed by the beast.

"Bastard…" Yuffie growled.

"There he is." Tseng pointed to the edge of town. The best growled and smashed into the buildings and streets, creating more destruction.

"HEY!" Yuffie called out. "Leave my country alone!" as if having sonic hearing the beast abruptly stopped all its actions. It whipped its head around and glared at the group on the top of the estate. With a low growl, the beast tore into the air speeding toward its target.

"Here it comes." Cid grabbed one of his materia.

"Opening fire!" Barret held his arm into the air and blasted at the approaching monster. Vincent stood by the man's side, helping out with his firearm.

Cloud and Zack both prepared thunder spells. Aeris held onto her cure materia, her knuckles turning white. Tifa stood by her side, fists raised. Nanaki growled, wanting to taste the flying water creature.

Shelke stood to the side with Kadaj preparing spells of their own. It was instinctual to the silver haired man. He stared at the monster with cold eyes as he raised a hand into the air, summoning another creature. A blast of light erupted from his palm, exploding into the air. The group jolted at the sound.

"Good choice." Shelke nodded.

"My favorite." The man smiled at her. The sky clouded as the summon spell worked its magic.

"It's quite the sight you're missin'!" Cait Sith chatted on his phone. "Too bad you're not here. We've run into an old friend." The cat eyed Tseng.

Tseng pulled the blade from the sheath tied at his waist. He held the sword diagonally in front of him, preparing for the battle. His eyes squint, studying the monster's movements. Yuffie wondered if the Turk was as good with a sword as he was with a gun.

"It's going to attack the right side first." The man murmured.

"Right side!?" Yuffie looked at the man, surprised he was so skilled in combat. "But we're on the right side!"

"Prepare yourself, Yuffie." The man whispered.

Leviathan lurched forward, its mouth open wide. It intended on eating the first thing it came in contact with.

"Get away!" Yuffie screamed as she threw her shuriken at the spiraling monster. It sliced across the side of the monster's face, but it did not slow down.

"Watch it!" Tseng darted to the side, pulling Yuffie down with him. They dropped roughly onto the roof, it cracking beneath them. Tseng's dark eyes darted from side to side as he tried to get up with the woman, but it was too late. The roof collapsed underneath them and they fell.

"Ah!" Yuffie screamed, reaching into the air. The two landed hard on the floor a level lower. Leviathan followed pursuit, jaws chomping.

'Yuffie!' Vincent looked over his shoulder. He opened fire on the beast as it dropped through the hole into the mansion. Its tail flickered in the air as it continued sliding into the room.

"Oh shi-!" Yuffie closed her makeup smeared eyes. She waited, and waited….and waited. A low growl emitted as Leviathan screamed. She opened her eyes.

"It stopped!" Tseng got to his feet, pulling the young woman up with him. He lifted his sword, in a blur the man twisted and turned. The blade cut upwards, cutting the serpent's belly, but not deep enough for it moved again.

"Why!?" she watched as the serpent was pulled back through the hole in the roof.

Kadaj smiled as Bahamut grabbed the tail of the serpent and tugged him ungracefully from the hole in the roof. The winged monster growled and tossed the sea dragon into one of the nearby temples. It followed the water beast preparing for its next strike.

"Good call!" Barret gave the young man a thumbs up.

"Perhaps I should help?" Shelke stared at the red orb in her hand. She closed her eyes, her brows furrowed. A burst of flames erupted from around her. She threw her arm downward at the street below. The ground crackled. Steam and red hot sparks exploded upwards, removing the rock. The water surrounding the site evaporated instantly. A giant beast leapt from the hole in the soil. His long claws dug eagerly at the ground wanting to fight. He had long, curved horns that pointed at the tips amongst the hair in his long mane.

"Leviathan isn't playing nicely." Shelke pointed to where the serpent and Bahamut fought. "Ifrit, why don't you join the fun?"

The beast growled in fury and took off toward the other monsters; his path melted the snow. He dug up the ground with his massive paws. Flames emitted from his mouth. He bunched up the molten rock in his hands, adding more to the inferno and launched the blazing weapon at the location of the fight, pegging leviathan's side. The serpent crashed into the building, taking the structure down. Bahamut roared in response to the attack.

"Hey, I want some of my city still standing by the end of this battle!" Yuffie called out as she climbed onto the roof.

"Ya think it's a good idea to bring 'em all out at once?" Cid asked nervously.

"Why the hell not?" Zack shrugged. He let go another lightning spell at the monster across from him.

"Perhaps I shall summon this one?" Aeris asked.

"Sorry Yuffie, it may cause some extra damage but if we don't do it, the battle will just take longer and the results may be worse." Tifa lifted her orb into the air. She mumbled to herself as if talking to the beast inside. It glowed brightly in her hand as she released the energy.

Snow lifted from the ground and flowed around the woman. Ice crystals crackled and formed in a circle a few feet away from her. The snow flowed to the orb of ice and solidified, building on top of one another. A snowy figure formed in the cold structure of ice. Two brilliant blue eyes appeared atop the being. A snap sounded and the snow and ice burst into tiny pieces, revealing an exotic woman covered partially in ice and snow. She eyed Tifa suspiciously.

"You're friends are goin' at it. Seems they've left you out on the fun." Tifa folded her arms while talking to the ice woman. Blue eyes glared at the fighting beasts in the streets below. "Leviathan thinks he can take you all on by himself."

The cold woman frowned, a low growl emitted from her lips. She leapt from the rooftop, colliding with the snow below. She darted for the battle scene, carrying the snow and ice with her, preparing her worst attack yet.

"Oh my….she didn't seem like a happy woman." Aeris gasped.

"That's Shiva. She can be a bitch sometimes." Tifa smiled.

"I, I'll keep that in mind." The green eyed woman nodded. "What do I do?" Aeris eyed the red orb clutched tightly in her hand.

"Go for it." Tifa nodded. "It's easy. You're a pro at using that stuff." She gave the other woman a boost of confidence.

"Really?" Aeris smiled.

She grabbed the ball with both hands and concentrated on the beast inside. She closed her eyes, feeling the power of the summon spell whirl around her. Her hair whipped about her. She whispered to herself in the Ancient language. This caught Zack's attention, not having heard the chant in what seemed like years. Cloud had the same reaction. The sleeves of her robes slid down her arms as she raised them into the air. She pushed forward, releasing the spell from within.

Electric energy burst from the heavens. The crackle of lightning blasted on the building next to them. A loud horse whinny erupted from the crackling mess of bolts. Aeris watched the spectacle, pleased with herself. A six legged horse marched from the electrifying portal. Its hooves clacked loudly on the tiled shingles of the rooftop. Its rider, a knight adorned in impressive armor of black and silver had yellow eyes that shone brightly with an electric charge. She got goose bumps as the man known only as Odin glanced her way. Though his face was covered by a silver plate she imagined him to give her a cockeyed grin as he bowed his head gently at her.

"Please help us." Aeris whispered to the man.

She did not need tell him more. Odin tore his gaze away from her to look at the chaos near the building across from him. He spun the spear in his hand as his horse reared and leapt over the side of the rooftop and ran vertically down the side of the building. The woman smiled at the sight.

'Imagine, a gallant black knight riding on a six legged white horse.' It was something like she had read in her books when she was younger. It gave her the chills, however, thinking of that knight trying to woo her. She giggled to herself.

Then the battle continued. The others stood on the roof, ready to attack in case anything were to happen to one of their summons. Whenever the monster was in clear view someone would open fire or let off an elemental spell, but as for now they were going to let the others do the fighting. Buildings shook and collapsed as the summons fought the Leviathan. Each time Yuffie shook a little, dreading to see the aftermath of the battle. One thing was for sure, these guys never held anything back.

"How much longer do you think this is going to last?" Yuffie shuddered. She sat on the rooftop and pulled her knees to her chest.

"Oh crap! Watch out!" Barret ran away from the edge of the roof.

Leviathan's tail smashed into the side of the building where Aeris was standing. The woman was one second looking down at the street and the next falling toward it.

"Aeris!!" Zack turned his attention to her. 'Not again!'

Odin's head turned upward at the sound of Zack's scream. His horse spun and galloped at light speed toward the falling woman. He slammed his javelin into the ground and pulled on the reigns. The horse leapt into the air toward Aeris. He caught her in his arms. Aeris yelped and hugged the knight's neck, afraid of falling. He set her in front of him, his arms on either side of her as he held onto the reigns. The horse ran up the side of the building. When he reached the top he placed his hands on her hips and carefully set her on the ground. The woman's cheeks were redder than Nanaki's fur. The knight placed a hand on her left cheek. She smiled at him. Odin looked to the others, nodded quickly and directed his horse over the edge of the building once again.

"What was that!?" Zack asked.

"What's wrong? Jealous?" Cloud asked. Zack was silent a moment, as if in deep thought.

"Damn right I'm jealous. Why doesn't he touch my cheek like that?" the black haired man scoffed.

"WHAT!?" the others looked at him in disbelief. Cloud rolled his eyes, while Aeris giggled. Zack guffawed at their reaction.

"Sorry! Couldn't help myself. Had to say it." The man cackled.

"Now, I knew you were weird, but I didn't think you were-." Cloud was interrupted.

"Aw, I was just kidding!" Zack felt his cheeks turn red. He knew it was a bad idea to tell a joke like that.

"Sure. Whatever you say." Cloud answered sarcastically.

The two continued arguing a moment about Zack's sexuality.

"It seems Shiva is up to something." Tseng pointed at the icy woman.

Shiva ran toward the beach of the ocean. She had a collection of snow and ice following behind her. Her icy gaze turned toward Odin, Ifrit, and Bahamut. She pointed to the waters of the ocean and did some other unrecognizable movement with her hands. The three turned her direction and followed her actions, Leviathan following close behind.

"Seems like they've got a plan." Zack folded his arms.

Ifrit ran up to the woman. He pulled all of his energy into the fists of his hands and fired another ball of molten rock toward the sea serpent. Shiva seemed furious at this. Leviathan dodged the blast easily and continued toward the sea. The ball of fire lodged itself into a building, destroying it. Shiva turned to Ifrit and slammed a fist onto the top of his head. The beast roared at her and prepared to take a strike. Odin's javelin kept him from making contact. The knight shook his head from side to side.

"Seems like they don't get along very well." Kadaj smirked.

"Ifrit, he doesn't like taking orders from anyone if he doesn't have to. Shiva hates it when things don't go her way." Shelke watched the spectacle.

Leviathan rushed toward the waters, wanting to use them to his benefit. As the serpent began to raise the water around itself for protection Shiva raised her arms into the air. She focused her energy on the raging waters, a smile on her face. The water crackled and froze around the snaking beast. Its movements slowed to a halt as the ice covered its body. Shiva shook her head as if thinking the monster knew better than to get fooled into one of her traps. Odin's horse backed up a couple of yards. He glanced over his shoulder looking up to the roof Aeris was on. It was a small gesture and done quickly, to make sure she was watching. He looked back the other way and nodded to Bahamut. The large beast spread its wings and floated into the air. Shiva folded her arms impatiently, rolling her eyes.

"Looks as though they're teaming up on his ass." Cid smiled. "I like the way they think!"

Odin rushed forward, drawing his javelin. He thrust the weapon with all his might. It lodged into the ice, cracking the surface and impaling the serpent on the other side. A loud pop of electricity burst from the tip of the javelin as thousands of small lightning bolts fell from the sky. Shiva jumped forward and snapped her fingers, closing the ice in on its body as the lightning bolts crackled into the monster's body. Leviathan let out a terrible screech, its body broken and bloody. Its jade green eyes looked pained and seemed to change colors momentarily. Shiva seemed struck by this. She turned her head upward, waving her arms in the air at the other summon.

"Is she telling him to stop?" Yuffie stood to her feet.

"Why would she? They almost got him." Barret gave a confused look at the young woman.

Bahamut opened its large mouth, letting a blue ball of energy grow between its beaks. Its head jolted backward as he released the massive ball. The sight struck a memory within Cloud's mind and the events that took place about three years ago when Kadaj was controlling the monster to attack Edge. The blue ball of light and energy flooded over Leviathan's body. The monster gave a horrendous cry as it was cooked in the blast. Its limp body dropped to the water below. Leviathan was defeated. Shiva rushed out into the water, her mouth gaping.

"What happened? Is it not dead?" Tifa asked.

"No…" Shelke shook her head. "It is dead, but I think Shiva's upset about something."

Shiva reached downward, grabbing Leviathan's whiskers. There was an abnormal scream, not quite human, that erupted from her lips. Odin grabbed the woman and set her on his horse and rode toward the others. Ifrit followed close behind while Bahamut stayed in the air, not really caring what had just happened. Kadaj smiled at the beast in the sky. They stared at each other a moment.

'I did not realize, Bahamut. Thanks for sharing.' Kadaj thought to the creature. 'What!? Are you sure!?' the young man felt a chill run down his spine; it was certainly not something he had expected to hear. Bahamut hissed in reply.

'Well tell him to take it easy next time, he almost hurt mother.' Kadaj watched the woman in the pink and green robes.

Bahamut growled and burst into millions of particles, going back to his home inside the materia. One of the good things about summons were they usually survived all battles, no matter the damage. The only thing that could completely kill a summoned creature, like Leviathan, would be by other summons as well, or if the summon itself gave up its life freely.

"What happened?" Aeris asked as Odin rode to the top of the roof. The knight set the distraught Shiva on the ground. The woman threw an ice spike at a nearby wall, growling as she did so.

"Something wrong?" Tifa asked. The ice woman quickly turned to the humans, glaring.

"Leviathan…not Leviathan!" she stomped her foot. "He controlled!" her voice was low and high at the same time. It wasn't quite like a human's voice, distorted and angry.

"By whom?" Cloud asked.

"…" the woman shrugged.

"Will…he be alright?" Aeris held her hands against her chest.

"…Don't know. Maybe not." She hissed and threw her arms down creating an ice chamber. The icicles grew around her and exploded into pieces, leaving nothing left. She was gone.

"Ifrit." Shelke held up her orb. The beast barked at her and waved a hand, not wanting to leave yet. "_Ifrit_." She said again. He growled a sigh and let himself be engulfed in his own flames. The fire flowed back into the orb.

"It seems everyone's leaving. Thank you for your help." Aeris stared at the orb in her hand. She felt guilty making Odin return to his home. She prayed it wasn't as cramped inside the materia as it looked.

Odin bowed his head to Aeris and turned to leave, lightning bolts erupted from thin air. He created his portal and with his horse, left this world.

"Well…the battle is over." Yuffie sighed. She stared at the destroyed city. One by one the civilians left their houses and ventured out into the streets.

"The elders are not going to like this one bit." Tseng moaned.

"Seems it was after me…" Yuffie groaned unhappily. "Maybe Leviathan really was upset with me being leader."

"I don't think it was that, Yuffie." Tseng put a hand on her shoulder. "You heard Shiva. He was being controlled by someone."

"But who can be strong enough to control Leviathan in that way?" Red XIII padded in a circle.

"That's what we need to figure out. You don't think it was one of the elders do you?" Cloud suggested.

"I hope not!" the ninja girl gasped. "Trying to take over for themselves! Oh no! What should I do?"

"We can question them all. Find out who would want to take you out." Vincent replied. He refused to look at the woman and already regretted talking at all. Yuffie glared at him.

"I'm not questioning all my people. That would only make them angrier with me. I know they already do not like me." She crossed her arms.

"…Do things your way. You're leader now." Vincent retorted. He leapt over the edge of the building to be alone. Yuffie balled her hands into fists.

"What's with him?" Cid spat.

"Not quite leader yet, Vincent." The woman turned away from the edge of the roof.

"The ceremony had barely begun when Leviathan attacked." Tseng nodded.

"I suppose we shall finish it then." She said bitterly.

"Yuffie." Aeris bit her lip. They watched Yuffie and Tseng enter the building alone.

"Alright, everyone inside before you get pneumonia!" Tifa's motherly instincts kicked in.

'Okay Vincent, two can play at this game.' The woman looped her arm with Tseng's. The man gave her a curious look followed by a gentle, nervous smile.

'Elena's going to kill me…' the man mentally sighed.

* * *

Nearby in the Temple of Leviathan, a malicious shadow watched the rooftops of the Kisaragi estate.

* * *

Ok going to end it there tonight. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I enjoyed writing it. I love writing about Shiva and the others! Any suggestions or comments let me know! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	18. Chapter 18

Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. Glad you liked my new addition of characters! Anyways here's the new chapter, hope you all enjoy it. Gonna try to put some nice little fluff in there. Oh…and some alcohol. –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 18**

Vincent Valentine stood in the corner of the room; his metallic claws tore at the sleeve of his silken shirt. He had never felt so aggravated in his entire life! Now, he had to stand there and watch Yuffie get married. Watch her be given away to a man she did not love. Sure she put up a tough front, but Vincent knew better. Yuffie was dying on the inside. At least, he hoped she was. How could she be happy about the situation she was in? Maybe knowing who her husband was helped settle her nerves. Maybe she didn't have too much of a problem marrying Tseng. His crimson eyes darted to the couple. Yuffie had her arm hooked around Tseng's. Vincent felt a growl escape his lips. Whether it was himself or Chaos, he did not know. Sure Tseng was a good looking guy. He excelled at everything he did, as a Turk and as a citizen of Wutai. The man sighed quietly to himself. Maybe he should be happy that Yuffie was to marry a man like that, rather than some sleaze ball of the streets that would just treat her like dirt.

'Like the way I did?' the man mentally fought with himself. Was all this his fault or was it Yuffie's? Maybe there was something he could have done to stop all this. Maybe it was all out of his hands. It was tradition. He couldn't just walk up there and change the law, even though he wanted to more than anything. He could waltz up there and kill Tseng, but that was out of the question. He couldn't kill a man like Tseng. The guy was just too nice. He could kidnap the girl, but he was sure that if she really wanted to get out of here she would run away like she always did… but her legs were not moving. They were stationary, planted to the ground like roots. Her arm wrapped around Tseng's as she giggled and chatted with her father and friends. Yuffie had apparently changed her mind about her situation.

"Vincent?" a voice sounded from beside him.

"…" he turned his head downward to catch the golden brown eyes of Tifa Lockheart staring up at him. In all his frustration he had one thought.

'Damn it, she's beautiful. Too bad I & that up too.' He stared at her.

"You alright?" her voice was gentle.

"Sure." He answered dryly. His eyes returned to the water soaked floor. There was about an inch of water remaining in the estate, all of it being washed into the basement. The cold air rushed in from the holes in the walls and ceilings. The home was destroyed.

"Sure?" she frowned. "Not much of an answer, Vincent."

"…" he stared at the wall across from him. He studied the golden leaf designs covering the wall reliefs. The picture told a story. It involved a gallant battle between the gods. Leviathan was in the middle of it all, his great wave crashing into his enemies, washing them away. Vincent thought it a little too ironic for the day. However, he did have a sudden wishing feeling that he was one of the enemies to be washed away. He wanted to get out of here.

"It's Yuffie isn't it?" Tifa whispered.

"…" he remained quiet but Tifa saw the discomfort in his body posture and in his eyes. She knew this man very well.

"Why don't you tell her?" the woman suggested. She knew it was a bold statement but she didn't like seeing Vincent this way, it scared her. When he got like this, he often disappeared for months on end.

"I did." He replied coldly and shoved his back away from the wall. "She's not interested."

"Vincent!" the woman wrapped her fingers around his golden wrist. The man looked down, his heart wrenching at the gesture. Tifa was one of the few people in his life to not be afraid of touching his arm. She did not say a word. They stood next to each other in comfortable silence.

"I need to get out of here." The man muttered barely audibly.

"No." Tifa shook her head quickly. The spikes of pulled up hair bobbed as she did so. "Tell her, Vincent. Don't just run from your feelings. She needs you to be there for her, to tell her how you feel about her. You need to tell her how much you love her. She needs to hear it. Don't run away…like you did to me."

"Tifa…" his eyes saddened when he heard this from her. He felt like he was stabbed in the heart. How could he continually make the same mistakes? How was it possible for one man to win every battle, never allow his self to be killed, but lose in every aspect of his love life?

"Just do as I say. What do you have to lose?" the woman whispered, her voice cracking.

'Pull yourself together!' the woman yelled at herself. 'You can't have feelings for this man, it would never work the way you wanted it.'

"Nothing, I suppose. I've already lost everything else important to me." The man placed a warm hand on hers. She looked up at him, her eyes watering. With that said, the man journeyed to join the rest of the group. Tifa stayed where she was a moment, wiping at her eyes.

"What!?" Yuffie shouted. "Seriously!?"

"I'm sorry Yuffie, but it has to be this way." Lord Godo said disappointed.

"What's going on?" Aeris asked.

"I don't have to get married!" the young girl jumped up and down. Everyone shared their gasps and silent cheers. Her father cleared his throat. "Oh, um I mean at least not for now."

"What do you mean not for now?" Tifa spoke up, joining the party.

"One of the temples was destroyed. It's a sign of bad luck to get married without one of the temples standing, also this specific temple was needed for the wedding ceremony today." The girl said with a bright smile on her face. "Plus this place was completely flooded. My home needs to be repaired before we can even think of continuing the wedding!" there was a look of relief on Tseng's face.

"How long will it take?" Cloud asked. Yuffie looked over her shoulder to her father.

"It's hard to tell, since we do not know entirely the extent of the damages, but we are trying for next month." Lord Godo stated.

"Next month?!" Yuffie's eyes bugged out of her head. "Um, are you sure about that? The whole city received damages, and the temple was basically obliterated! And our home-!" she was interrupted.

"Yuffie, you will return here in one month's time, if you do not I will be forced to find a new suitor." The man grumbled angrily.

"What!?" the young girl covered her face. "…fine." The room was silent.

"Good. I'm glad we've come to an understanding for once." Her father turned away from her.

"But I'm not staying here! I'm going with my friends." The young woman shouted.

"Whatever you want to do, just be back next month!" the man followed her tone as he exited the room.

"At least we now have some extra time." Zack rubbed the back of his neck.

"There will never be enough time though." Yuffie sighed. She rubbed her eyes, her makeup smearing even more. "Let's get outta here."

The group happily followed the woman out of the house. They all rode in a carriage toward the hotel. The sun was setting already, casting an orange glow across the damaged city. Yuffie was looking forward to staying with her friends for the night. It seemed like weeks rather than days since the last time she got to enjoy their company.

'I've gotta think of a way to get out of here.' The ninja girl frowned.

* * *

"Ahhaha!" Tifa cackled loudly. She kicked her feet back and forth. Aeris giggled with her, leaning back far enough on her rear-end to lose her balance.

"I'm serious!" Aeris covered her mouth as she giggled.

"Aeris, you can't be serious making a statement like that!" the brown eyed woman sat up. Her long hair flowed over her shoulders.

"Speaking of which…" Aeris tilted her head, thinking. "Wonder where those two are?"

"Probably having their own slumber party!" Tifa suddenly whispered, as if anyone could hear the two. Aeris giggled, imagining the thought.

"Maybe we should sneak up on them!" the Cetra giggled, she wobbled slightly.

"Sounds like fun!" Tifa cackled again as she jumped over the side of her bed and headed for the door. Aeris squealed and followed the other woman. Tifa held a finger to her lips. "Shhh! We gotta be quiet… don't wan' 'em to hear." Aeris nodded quickly in obedience. She giggled again with excitement, she felt like a spy.

Tifa bit her lip as she pulled the door open slowly, it creaking silently. Ignoring the cold chill of the dark hallway the woman squeezed through the tiny crack of the wooden door and bounded down the way a couple of doors. She heard Aeris stifling a laugh as she padded across the carpeted floor with bare feet. Tifa put her finger to her lips again, giggling herself. She tiptoed to one of the doors. She saw light glowing from the underside of the door. A large smile crossed her lips as she pressed her ear against the cold door. She could hear a faint mumbling like a conversation. Aeris stumbled into her, causing a giggle to erupt from the other woman's lips. She covered her mouth with her free hand; the other occupied a certain item. The Cetra this time hushed the other woman. Tifa quickly shut her mouth, nodded and then pressed her ear against the door once again, listening. This time there was no sound. It was dead quiet. She furrowed her brow, concentrating. Aeris stared at the light on the floor. She gasped and pulled on Tifa's shoulder as a dark shadow passed quickly by, interrupting the light on the other side of the door. They watched in silence, staring at the floor in interest. Suddenly all light evaporated into darkness. The two women squealed, and the door in front of them flew open. They screamed, as two dark figured leapt out into the hall and grabbed each of their arms.

"What-?" a male voice sounded and the light from a very small lamp clicked on.

"Tifa?" Cloud's voice sounded.

"Aeris?" Zack smirked at the two women as they laughed to themselves.

"You scared us!" Aeris held a hand to her chest, a wide smile on her face.

"You did the same to us." Zack let go of the woman.

"What are…you doing?" Cloud asked.

"Nothing." Tifa smiled. She held her hands behind her back.

"…" the two men gave each other a questioning look before glancing back at the dark haired woman.

"What have you got?" Cloud asked. The two men entered the room, leaving the door open for the two girls. They happily ran into the room, shutting the door behind them. Aeris and Tifa sniggered and turned around to face the men. Despite the cold, the women were wearing only their pajamas, which surprisingly consisted of only short silk shorts and matching tank tops.

"You two are up to no good…' Zack smirked at the large bottle in Tifa's hands. It was half empty.

"You've been drinking." Cloud simply stated the obvious.

"Uh huh." The girls nodded.

"You've been doing the same, I see." Tifa pointed at the table. There were a couple of glasses full of a golden liquid. A thick, square bottle sat between the two.

"Just one." Zack smiled.

"Where'd you get that?" Cloud asked the woman holding the giant wine bottle.

"In the shops the other day. I couldn't resist it! It's great!" the woman held it into the air.

"I can tell…" the blond eyed her suspiciously. He knew Tifa pretty well. Besides being a bartender, she could over-do it at times, getting herself tipsier than the drunks she usually threw out of the bar late at night.

"Must be some strong stuff." Zack wrinkled his nose. He noticed Aeris wobble slightly. Aeris couldn't hold her alcohol very well. It didn't take much to get her more than a bit tipsy. "You're a bad influence." He pointed to the Ancient. Tifa turned her head quickly to Aeris and smiled.

"She's fine." Tifa murmured quickly.

"Thas right." the green eyed woman nodded. "I can take care of myself."

The two men shook their heads; they couldn't help the smiles that crossed their lips. These two women could be a handful at times, but it was so long since they were able to see the two women together having fun like old times.

"Zack's right, Tifa. You are a bad influence. Shouldn't you know better?" Cloud raised an eyebrow, trying to get a rise out of the woman.

"Oh!? And who said you were my father?" she asked as she took a swig from the bottle. She pursed her lips, looking at the blonde as if challenging him.

"Just doing what you always do to me, mother." Cloud glanced at her sideways, taking a drink from his glass.

"Mother!?" Tifa stumbled toward him. "Since when have I become your mother!?" she put her hands on her hips, the liquid sloshing in the bottle. Aeris reached around the woman and grabbed the bottle. She took a drink of it and smiled. Usually she didn't like this stuff, but Tifa was right, it was delicious. She eyed Zack. The man was sitting quietly at the table. He rested the side of his chin on his fist. He stared at her with a smile. His fingers were wrapped around the small glass on the table; his brilliant blue gaze never left hers.

Aeris stared at him a moment, she felt her cheeks turn a shade or red. She took a breath and walked up to the man, holding the bottle out for him. All the while Tifa and Cloud bickered to each other.

"Try it, it's good." Aeris smiled. The man grinned at her and grabbed the bottle from her hands. He acted like he didn't notice the graze of their fingers as he did so. Aeris quickly tugged her hands behind her back, watching the man. He twisted the bottle, reading the label. He thought about Aeris and the last time he remembered her ever drinking anything like this. They had shared a glass of wine during a picnic. After only one Aeris was giggling and acting all squirrely. The man smiled and tried the wine from the bottle. It had a very sweet taste, barely having the sour taste that most wines had. It tasted like juice more than anything, which could be very dangerous.

"Well?" Aeris asked.

"Very good." The man nodded and took another drink.

"H, hey!" Tifa shouted a moment later. She strode over to the man. "No more! I spent a lot on this stuff!" she stuck her tongue out at the man. "Cloud, none for you!" she huffed.

"Why not share with me?" Cloud folded his arms. "You shared with Aeris."  
"That's cause she's my friend!" the woman nodded once.

"And I'm not your friend?" the man asked with fake shock.

"No." Tifa shook her head. She didn't know how to further reply and headed for the door.

"Oh, where are you going?" Aeris asked.

"Back to my room, Cloud's being a jerk." Tifa eyed the blond suspiciously.

"Well that's not very nice." Zack glanced at the other man.

"Hey, who's side are you on?" the man gawked at the other.

"The ladies, of course." Zack grinned. "Besides you should be nice to her, that's some very nice wine she's got there. It would be bad for her to drink all that by herself don't you think?" his eyes traveled to Tifa. He smiled at the blush on her cheeks.

"…" Cloud glanced at the woman. "Tifa, don't drink all that." He said in a warning tone.

The woman grinned widely and brought the bottle to her lips. The man yelled her name again, as if she was a child. She lifted it, pouring the liquid into her mouth as she took a gulp of the stuff. Cloud stood from his chair, a hint of amusement in his eyes as he pointed a finger at her.

"Don't…" He watched her take another swig and dart out the door. Not sure what to do, the man just ran after the woman, leaving the room.

"There he goes." Zack smiled. There was a loud cackled that sounded down the hall and a door slam shut. Tifa was up to her games and poor Cloud was stuck in the middle of it.

"Darn. Tifa has the bottle." Aeris frowned and sat in the chair Cloud was previously in.

"Here, have Cloud's drink." Zack topped of the glass. "Doesn't taste as good as the other stuff, but it'll help keep you warm."

'I can think of other ways to keep warm…' Aeris smirked. What was she thinking? Tifa had put too many ideas in her head lately.

Aeris lifted the glass to her lips. She shrugged and took a big drink of the liquor. She cringed and made a disgusted sound. Zack chuckled.

"Not supposed to drink that much at once." He took a large swig of his and was unfazed. "Unless you're used to the taste. Something we drank quite a bit of in SOLDIER."

"Tell me about being in SOLDIER." Aeris leaned forward, resting on her elbows.

"It was busy all the time. We always had missions, training to go through, and sometimes paper work. That was the worst!" he rambled on about mission reports and learning to use materia. "But that all is boring to talk about. Let's see. Cloud and I met on a mission once. We became friends after that; he wanted to be Soldier, First-Class. It started out talking about that stuff and then after a while we just began to hang out."

"What type of things would you do?" Aeris took another drink. She gave the same reaction as before.

"We mostly talked about things, our lives, battles, girls, what we would do when we were older. And we'd play cards a lot."

"Girls?" the woman asked curiously.

"Yeah." Zack smiled as if remembering something.

"Like who." She leaned in even closer, absolutely interested.

"Like y-…" Zack cleared his throat. He had to remember that he told Aeris he only met her during the first adventure, not five years before. "Well, Cloud would tell me about Tifa."

"Tifa! Really?" Aeris grinned from ear to ear. "What type of things would he say about her?"

"He could go on and on about that girl. It was the only thing I could get out of him that he would get lost in. At first he was reluctant to say anything, but after prying a bit I would get him started and he would never stop!" the man laughed. "He would talk about when they were little. He thought she was the most beautiful thing in the world. He would mention the way she laughed, the way she cried, walked, and talked." Aeris smiled as Zack went on.

"That's cute."

"Yeah." Zack nodded. "Never thought I'd get to meet the woman myself, but then we went to Nibelheim…"

"Nibelheim?" Aeris tilted her head.

"We went there for a mission. Cloud, Sephiroth and I." Zack clenched his fists. "Cloud was ashamed cause he wasn't First Class. Tifa was upset cause Cloud wasn't there. It was a mess. Cloud hid in his helmet, never saying anything to her. She was our tour guide. She brought us to the mountains and showed us the reactor. Cloud was too scared to say anything and Tifa was too embarrassed to mention anything because she wanted to hide her feelings."

"Why?" Aeris asked quietly.

"When they were kids, Tifa and her friends made fun of Cloud. Tifa felt bad and didn't really realize it till Cloud left the small town to join soldier." He took a drink. "Anyways, the next day…Sephiroth goes on a rampage and kills everyone; burning the town to the ground…He went to the reactor and cut off Jenova's head. But before that Tifa went there to stop him, but it was too late. Her father was killed and he attacked her, cutting her across the chest and throwing her down the stairs."

"That's terrible!" Aeris covered her mouth.

"I came in right after it happened. Luckily, she was still alive. I went in after that lunatic…but I wasn't strong enough." His mouth was a straight line. Aeris shivered at the intense look in his eyes. "I was cut up pretty bad. Don't remember much what happened after that but I guess Cloud was able to stop him, receiving fatal wounds. Then, we were both taken to the Shinra mansion there…" he remained silent.

"Wh, what happened?" Aeris asked.

"We were experimented on for five years." Zack struggled to tell her. "I got out, drug Cloud's ass across nearly two continents to get to Midgar. And then…" he stopped. He took a drink and sighed.

Aeris watched the man silently. She never saw him so sad. She felt bad, asking these questions.

"I was shot down." He remembered everything so vividly. Lying in a pool of his own blood, bullet holes wracked his body. He couldn't feel anything after a while, his mind was elsewhere. He thought of Aeris in her garden, how close he was to seeing her again and thinking that it was all over, he'd never see her again. He remembered the tears that fell as his life faded away into darkness. Cloud's screams shrieking over the barren land, the only sound he had made since they left the mansion.

"Shot…down?" Aeris felt herself shiver. "How…? Why?" she felt a tugging at her heart as a memory resurfaced. She was in her church, rain came falling in. It was unusual. She remembered a sad whispering in her ears from the planet and could feel the shaking pain that did not belong to her. Something was wrong and she knew it. The woman gasped as a tear slid down her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing. It's just so sad…" Aeris sniffled. "I thought I had remembered something, but it was more of a feeling than anything."

"Really?" he lifted his head.

"For some reason…I felt very sad when you told me that. I can't imagine something like that happening. It's horrible!" she wiped at her eyes. "Look at me, getting all worked up. I didn't even know you then."

'Yeah…you did.' Zack sighed.

"But even then, I feel great sadness thinking of you going through so much." She smiled faintly and stared at the empty glass in her hands. "How can a man go through so much pain and suffering…and live through it all?"

"I had something important to live for." The man gave her a cockeyed smirk.

"…" she stared at his eyes. They glowed with such an intensity she never had seen before. They were beautiful to her. She wished her eyes could glow like that. "Like what?" she asked finally, feeling the slight buzz in her head from her previous drink.

Zack watched her intently. Aeris was leaned in very close to him. He could smell her flower perfume, much like the one she wore so many years ago. He stared at her face, seeing the red shade it had. Her long curls flowed down her back and around her shoulders. He glanced down at her pink lips; she gave a hint of a smile. Zack leaned forward, placing his hand on top of hers. He noticed her hold her breath as he kissed her softly on the lips.

Aeris wrung her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. A soft whimper escaped her lips, encouraging him to continue. Zack's arms wrapped around her waist. He lifted and pulled her toward him, setting her on his lap. Aeris repositioned herself, straddling him. She ran her fingers through his black, spiky hair, kissing him. She felt his fingers run up and down along her spine, almost tickling her. Her kisses trailed down the side of his jaw and down his neck. She felt his hot breath on her skin, could hear him breathing heavily. She loved the sound.

'What are these feelings? What am I doing!?' She stopped. The two stared a moment, their breathing never settling. She felt goose bumps on her skin. She rested a hand on his chest, could feel the pounding of his heart. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her softly as he laid his chin on the top of his head.

"Zack?" she whispered. "Is there more to us than I remember?"

"…Perhaps." He replied quietly.

* * *

"Tifa!" Cloud turned around quickly. The woman was pressed against the door, the bottle in her hand held close to her chest. Her hair was a mess, falling in her face as a sly grin crossed her features.

"Hand over the bottle." Cloud said assertively. He held out his hand. Even though he was a year older than the woman, he always felt younger than her. She had so much authority and sometimes scared him more than a behemoth.

"Come and get it." She said playfully, shaking it from side to side.

"I'm…" he breathed out a laugh. This was ridiculous. "I'm not playing your game."

"Why not?" she pouted.

"Because…you're drunk."

"I'm not!" She acted insulted.

"Prove it." He folded his arms.

The woman nodded, stuck out her chest a little too far and walked heel to toe toward the man. She poked her nose with either finger while singing the alphabet. Cloud stifled a chuckle. Had she practiced this when he was not home?

"There. Told you." Tifa leaned forward. She was inches away from him, but he stood his ground. In a flash he snatched the bottle from her hand and turned away from her taking a drink.

"Cloud!!" She growled and ran across the room toward the man. "I paid a lot for that!" she screeched as he drank a fourth of the bottle in an instant just to spite her. She leapt into the air, giving a battle cry. The blond had only enough time to turn around before the woman pounced on him and took him to the ground. The bottle toppled to the ground, the liquid pouring onto the wooden floor.

"Gah!" she shouted and while on top of the man reached and lifted the bottle from the ground and set it back down the way it should be. Her glare went from the bottle down to the man beneath her. She leaned forward, pressing her nose against his. "I paid twice as much as I wanted for that stuff."

"I'll buy you two more." The man replied and wrapped his arms around her back tightly. He tilted his head slightly and pressed his lips against hers.

Tifa gasped against his kiss. Her eyes were wide. She felt like she had been hit in the face with a brick. Was this really Cloud Strife? The man who had lived with her for so many years and never shared more 

than a few words with her? Barely ever touched her!? Now the man was holding her against him and kissing her more passionately than she ever imagined him to.

She reluctantly touched him, her hands shaking. Her fingers trailed over the side of his cheek and upwards into his messy blonde hair. How many times she wanted to play with his hair, to tease him and put them in tiny pigtails to make him angry. She always wondered what it would feel like to be in his muscular arms, pressed against his chest, to be kissed by him, to be whispered to, to be touched by him and to be with him every day without worry of whether or not he'd come home that night or seven days later. Her eyes stung and her heart wrenched at the thought. She never thought anything like this would happen. She expected Cloud to always keep a stone wall between him and her.

"Cloud." Tifa whispered between a kiss. This isn't right, it can't be him! She suddenly felt very scared. Sephiroth had done something like this to her before. She sat up on the floor, pushing away from him. "Wait!"

"Tifa?" Cloud sat up with her, his eyes held shock. Whether it was because of his or her actions, she didn't know. She leaned forward, holding his face. His eyes were blue, the magnificent blue color that she had always loved. His pupils were normal and so was his voice. The man before her was Cloud, and no one else.

"Nevermind!" Tifa said quickly as she pressed her lips against his once more.

* * *

Yuffie sat out on her balcony, she ignored the freezing cold. Snowflakes flurried downward. It was a light snow. The water in the town was beginning to turn icy in parts. She shivered. A warm robe suddenly was placed on her shoulders.

'Vincent!' Yuffie turned around quickly but was met with disappointment.

"It's quite cold out here, Miss Yuffie." Tseng walked to her side. "I'm sorry, but I noticed the door was open."

"Was it?" Yuffie turned to look; indeed the door was propped open.

"If you wish to be alone, I can leave." The man simply stated.

"No, you're alright. I guess I could use someone to talk to." The young woman smiled softly.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry for the situation you are in." Tseng began. "I noticed that it was something you are not happy with."

"Not quite." The woman muttered. "Nothing against you. It's just, no one wants to be married to someone they do not know."

"I understand." Tseng nodded.

"That's right. You have to go through the same thing. I'm sorry, Tseng." The girl looked up at him. "Perhaps I really am selfish. This is for my country; perhaps I should be more adult about it."

"I don't think it's selfish. I'm sure there are lots of people who have had the same feelings. You're not human if you don't feel anything when being forced to marry someone you do not love." Tseng leaned forward on the balcony. "Especially when there's someone else you love."

"…That's right. You were dating Elena, weren't you?" Yuffie turned quickly to the man. "What about her?"

"I wasn't talking about me and Elena." Tseng glanced sideways at her.

"W, what do you mean?" the girl stuttered.

"You… had feelings for Vincent, did you not?" he asked her.

"Me? And Vincent?" she forced out a fake laugh. "Oh don't be ridiculous."

"Hm, if you say so." The man cleared his throat. "I just could not ignore the red glare I had received from that man today. Perhaps he just does not like me."

"He glared at you?" the girl stifled a laugh.

"The most heinous glare I've ever seen. It was like being stared at by Diablo himself." The man chuckled. "If you ever need to talk about anything, you always have me. I understand that you are not happy with your responsibilities, but when next month comes around, if nothing has changed I would want for you to understand that the situation is same with me and I will try my best to be as supportive for you as I can." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do not think of me as your husband. Think of me as a friend whose job is to take care of you."

"Thank you, Tseng." Yuffie stared at the tiled floor of the balcony.

"Then, I'll leave you be. Good night, Yuffie." The man gave her a quick peck on the cheek and he left her in silence.

"I've gotta find a way out of this." Yuffie groaned. She really didn't have any ill feelings toward the man; it was just the fact that she did not love him. He was a nice, good looking guy. Perhaps she could learn to love him. "I wanna die." She let out a loud sigh, not serious in her statement, but it didn't stay out of her mind to think about what would happen if she did give her life. But she knew it was absurd. She may as well just abandon her duties and be banished from Wutai for life. Maybe that was what she should do, runaway and never return. Then she could be with her friends at least. The thought was very tempting.

"That's worse than running away, Yuffie." A cool voice sounded from behind her. Without a doubt she knew who this intruder was.

"I need to learn to lock my door." The woman muttered.

"It was open." He replied dryly.

"I realize. Doesn't mean people can venture in and out of my room." She said bitterly.

"I saw Tseng was in here." The man leaned against the wall, keeping his distance. "Getting to know your future husband better?" he was really grating on her nerves today.

"You know what, Vincent!?" she turned to the man. "You are such an asshole!"

"…" he smiled at her.

"What!? You come in here, treat me like crap and then just sit there and smile at me! WHY!?" she shrieked at him.

"Because you're beautiful when you're angry." He replied.

"I-! What?" she looked at him stupidly.

"You heard me." He pushed off the wall and walked to the ledge and leaned against the frame like Tseng had done.

"What are you up to?" the woman folded her arms. "What are you going to do now? Haven't you hurt me enough?"

"Afraid not." He glanced up at the black sky. "I want to make you angry every day." There was a hint of amusement in his voice.

"So nice of you Vincent." The girl said sarcastically. "What… is that your way of saying you're sorry?"

"Sorry?" he shook his head. "No. It's my way of saying that I want to be with you."

"…" he turned to find a very upset Yuffie pacing in her room.

"Yuffie." The man walked into her room, closing the glass balcony doors behind him.

"Vincent! What are you doing! Don't tell me these things, it only makes it worse!" she shouted, tears stinging her eyes.

"What would you prefer? Get out of my life? I never want to see you ever again? I've never loved you?" the man shouted. Vincent rarely raised his voice.

"Did you ever?" the woman asked, letting a stray tear fall down her cheek. She plopped onto the bed.

"Why would I kiss you if I never did?" the man sat next to her on the mattress. He sighed. This woman was such high maintenance. "I don't know what you want me to do, Yuffie. I've told you and I've kissed you and you still act as though there's something more I can give you."

"I'm scared." Yuffie sniffed. "I'm afraid you're just going to disappear. Do to me what you did to Tifa. Besides, I'll be married next month. It would be better if I didn't get involved with something like this."

"Tough shit." Vincent shook his head. He gave up, didn't care to talk anymore. He grabbed the woman and pulled her against his chest. "We'll figure out something. If you don't then I will. If you can't except my love then just tell me to leave and to get out of your life and I will. I'll go back to the mansion in Nibelheim and go back to sleep for another thirty years…fifty years if I have to."

"…I don't know what I want." Yuffie grabbed onto the man, wanting so badly to give into her emotions. "I want to run away. I want to be here for my country. I want to be in love. I want to be with you."

"Then I will be with you, until the day comes where we must part. Whenever that is, it's up to you." He muttered. His metallic hand rested on her hip.

"We are setting ourselves up for a lot of pain." The woman sighed.

"It'll be worth it." The man whispered.

* * *

Okay! That's the end of this chapter! Hope you all enjoyed it! Added lots of conversation and fluffiness. More to be added in the future. And yes, couldn't help it…I through in some Cloud and Tifa for once. Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	19. Chapter 19

Hello everyone! Glad to hear you liked the last chapter. I need to add a bit more fluff into this story for it to fit under romance, not to worry there's plenty more coming up! Thanks for reading and reviewing! –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 19**

Aeris awoke feeling more rested than she ever did in her entire life. She was warm and ready to start her day; she had a happy bubbly feeling. What was it that made her night so great? Then she noticed the arms wrapped around her. She smiled at the hands that lay loosely on her lap. Her head turned to look behind her. Zack's chin rested on her shoulder. He looked peaceful as he breathed softly against her neck. A giggled emitted from the woman at the tickle she it gave her. The man's eyes popped open, them having a pale color in the sunlight that flooded into the room.

"Morning." Aeris whispered.

"Hm." The man replied, smiling. He yawned and stretched as the woman jumped from his lap. Aeris frowned at the cool temperature that invaded her body. She wanted to return to his warm arms. "Sleep well?" he asked standing up.

The woman nodded, a blush crossing her cheeks.

"What time is it?" Zack walked to the window noticing the bustling streets below and the bright light from the day.

"We've slept in quite a while. We've almost missed lunch!" the woman giggled. She joined the man's side to catch the sight of the village.

Despite all the damage from the day before it didn't stop all the shoppers from visiting the local shops. The townspeople rushed from store to store to stock up on supplies for food, clothing and hammers and nails. While they shopped others repaired their destroyed homes, neighbors helping each other.

"I wonder what possessed that snake to come and attack this place." Zack mumbled to himself.

"Cloud had mentioned something about it being controlled by somebody." Aeris gave her input.

"Cloud…" Zack turned to the other woman, a large smile on his face. "He never did come back to his room."

"Oh my…" Aeris covered her mouth, her cheeks red.

"Maybe Tifa ensnared him for the night." The man chuckled to himself.

LINE

Cloud stirred in his sleep. His eyes slowly opened to stare at the tan ceiling overhead.

'This is not my room…' the man rubbed his eyes.

The bed he was in was much softer and a lot warmer than his usually was. He turned his gaze to the side. Tifa laid next to the man, sprawled across the mattress. Her dark hair flooded around her, across her bare shoulders, down her bare back. The blanket kept his eyes from further venturing down her naked body. He watched her sleep a moment giving a large grin.

* * *

Yuffie awoke to the sound of knocking at her door. She stirred quickly, jumping out of bed. Her eyes moved around the room, searching. Vincent was gone. She frowned and muttered a few strands of curse words as she opened the door.

"Wakeup call." A room service man said cheerfully.

"I didn't have a wakeup call." She muttered, scratching her messy hair.

"The men in the dining room told me to give you one, they said that they were tired of waiting." The man bowed. "My apologies."

"It's fine." Yuffie smiled. "Tell them I'll be down in a few minutes." The man nodded and headed down the hallway. Yuffie yawned as she headed for the bathroom. A nice warm shower would help her wake up. Though she did wonder where Vincent had gone. She didn't appreciate him leaving her.

'Damn you, Vincent. Leave me here all by myself you cold hearted bastard.' She stopped in front of the door to the bathroom. It was closed. Her ears perked up at the sound of running water being shut off.

'Someone's in my bathroom!' she listened intently. She reached for the handle of the door and turned it, locked.

The handle jiggled a moment and flew open, steam poured out of the room. Yuffie yelped and stared at the sight before her. Vincent stood, wet, his long black hair sticking to his shoulders and chest. He leaned to the side to look at her with his red eyes. A complimenting towel wrapped around his waist.

"Can I help you?" he asked in a rich, low voice.

"…" Yuffie stared. The man shrugged a shoulder and walked around her.

"You can have it, I'm done." He made his way to the vanity mirror and grabbed Yuffie's brush. He pulled at the tangles in his hair.

"…Did you take up all the hot water?" she finally was able to speak.

"Sorry, I like hot showers…" the man stared at his reflection. "I'll try not to open the door while you're showering like you did to me."

"I didn't….I didn't know you were in there. Just be quiet." She huffed and made her way into the bathroom.

"Trying to sneak a peek?" he chuckled softly to himself.

"Vincent!" Yuffie shouted in a warning tone as she shut the door behind her.

Yuffie leaned against the door, sighing. She smiled. Vincent stayed with her the entire night. He didn't leave her. Plus she got to see him wearing nothing more than a towel. Today was going to be a good day.

* * *

"Them damn lovebirds…always wastin' our time!" Cid finished off the tea in his white and blue porcelain mug.

"They don't realize we've got people we would like to see to." Barret scoffed.

"I don't know 'bout you, but I'm having' fun!" Cait Sith purred.

"Cause you ain't got nothin' else to do you damn robot!" the pilot rested his chin on his hand.

"Hey! I may be a robot but I've got feelin's too." The cat folded his arms.

"I'm having fun." Kadaj nodded.

"All you do is play cards." Barret grumped.

"Well maybe if I could come along with you guys more often I'd be of more use." The silver haired man glared. Every day it seemed he became less and less like a child and more like the Kadaj they used to know.

"Maybe if we could trust you." Barret retorted. Kadaj balled his fists.

"Enough fighting. It solves nothing." Shelke sat next to Kadaj. "I think we've known him long enough to put some trust into him. Besides you all trust me now, do you not?"

"That's different." Cid mumbled.

"How so?" the girl studied him.

"We've known you longer. Besides Vincent trusts you so we don't have much of a choice do we?" Highwind stared at the ceiling.

"So if it weren't for Vincent then you would not trust me?" the girl looked at the warm cup of hot chocolate in her hands.

"Erm…thas not what I meant." The pilot tried to cheer her up.

"You're not going to be good with children are you?" Barret glanced at the man.

"Well she's not exactly a child!" he stood up for himself. "She's just stuck in a lil girl's body."

"Maybe someday I can leave it." Shelke muttered.

"Now look what ya' did. Ya' ruined everybody's mood." Cait Sith whacked the pilot on the leg.

"I din't do nuthin'!" Cid cursed.

"I think this time would be better spent researching. I would like to go back to my grandfather's lab and go through more files. I would like to find out more about the original reason we're all together, Zack and Aeris' resurrection." Red XIII scratched himself behind his ear.

"I'd like to see Marlene." Barret nodded.

"Haven't seen Shera in a while." Cid sighed.

"Perhaps we shall take this time to do our own things, see loved ones and gather data." Shelke nodded.

'I would like to find out more about the procedure done to me and whether or not I'll have to stay in this body forever.' The girl frowned.

"Wh, where will I go?" Kadaj stuttered.

"Somewhere we can watch you." Barret eyeballed the man.

"That's not fair!" Kadaj stood from his chair, knocking it to the ground.

"He can come with me." Shelke nodded. "He could be of use to me. We'll go to the Shinra Mansion's basement since the underground lab was destroyed."

"You sure?" Barret asked.

"You know me. If he gets out of line, I can handle him." Shelke winked. Kadaj muttered incoherently to himself.

"I suppose I'll go back to Reeve. He said there are some things he wants me ta do for the president." Cait Sith's ears drooped.

"Then it's settled, that's what we'll do." Vincent's voice interrupted the conversation.

"Where will you go?" Shelke asked nervously.

"Who knows. I've got a few things to check up on." The red eyed man replied.

"Not without me!" Yuffie came down the stairs. "If everyone's going to run around doing their own thing, I'm going with somebody. There's no way I'm staying here."

"…You can follow." Vincent nodded.

"Then I guess I'll take a trip back to Edge." Tseng entered the room.

"We'll be going as well." Tifa hopped down the steps cheerfully. Cloud followed closely behind her. Barret glared at the spiky haired man.

Zack and Aeris walked down the steps next to each other sharing a conversation. They stopped at the bottom. Zack glanced at everyone as Aeris just smiled.

"What will you two do?" Yuffie asked.

"What do you mean?" Aeris tilted her head.

"We're all going off to do our separate things for a while." Tifa smiled. "We'll get back together later…what will you two do?"

"Oh." Aeris thought a moment.

"See our parents." Zack answered for her. "There's a lot of explaining I have to do and I'm sure that my parents would like to see me again. It had been quite a while." He looked down at Aeris.

"My mom?" she asked hesitantly.

"We'll go see your mother. We'll have to find her though, we don't know exactly where she is…" Zack rubbed the back of his neck.

"I can do some research. I'll put in the request to Reeve immediately." Cait Sith momentarily froze, a few mechanical noises sounded and the cat was back in action. "I'll give ya a call on the PHS when I find out anything." The robot tossed the man the phone.

"Thanks." Zack nodded. He placed the phone into his pockets.

"Then let's hurry. I'll drop you all off and then I'm outta here to see me Shera." Cid hopped out of his seat.

"Remember, no smoking." Tifa advised.

"I'll do what I want, woman." Cid pouted.

"You'll be in for it when I tell Shera that." The dark haired woman crossed her arms.

"Don't see why it matters." The man spat.

The group boarded the airplane. Aeris walked closely with Zack, whispering.

"Why don't we know where my mother is?" her voice was nervous.

"…Because after the destruction of Midgar she moved away. We weren't able to tell where she went. She didn't leave a note." Zack answered nervously.

"Was she mad at me?" Aeris asked. Her eyes began to water.

"No!" Zack turned to her quickly. He was quiet a moment. "There's something important I need to tell you. I just didn't want to."

"Didn't want to? Why would you keep something from me?" Aeris asked. She felt hurt.

"It's nothing like that, really. I would never want to keep something from you. I just wanted to protect you…" he looked to the side. "I don't like seeing you get hurt."

"What didn't you tell me?" the woman noticed some staring eyes from the others. Zack looked over his shoulder.

"Come with me. I'll tell you everything." Zack said quietly.

He grabbed her hand and led her away from the cabin where the others were. Cloud gave the man a worried look. Zack led her to the basement where the bunks were kept. He took her into one of the rooms and locked the door.

"Is it…that personal?" Aeris wrung her hands. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

"Okay, I'm not going to sugarcoat a thing. I'm just going to flat out tell you." The man sighed heavily. Aeris sat on the bed, Zack decided to stay standing. "You died."

"What!?" the woman gave him a look of disbelief.

"That's right. Now let me finish." Zack breathed in and talked quickly. "I was in Soldier, as you know. I told you about Cloud and I, Sephiroth and Nibelheim. I told you about the experiments done on Cloud and I and how we escaped. I said I was shot down." Aeris nodded after every sentence, trying her best to keep up.

"Well, then…I died." Zack stared at her, never tearing his gaze away from hers. "I was murdered by the Shinra soldiers. I laid in my pool of blood with Cloud there next to me. I died, and something happened 

to Cloud…something psychological. To explain it the best I can, he thought he was me. Thought he was Soldier, first class. He joined the rebel group, AVALANCHE, which you know is everyone upstairs."

"You died…" Aeris interrupted. "But you can't…you're here right now. Do the others know!?" Aeris asked frantically.

"Yes." Zack breathed a laugh. "They know everything. Anyways, they get together to stop Shinra, Sephiroth, who should have been dead as well, got mixed into things and one after another Cloud met all the others and he eventually met you."

"…" the room was silent a moment.

"You joined the others. You were kidnapped by the Turks and taken into the Shinra Co. Now, during that entire time I was brought back to Hojo's lab. Hojo had done more experimentation that involved more Mako and Jenova cell transplants. His research said that there was no effect between me and Jenova's cells. That was because my body had rejected the cells in a way where they wouldn't control me. I have the ability to manipulate the cells and use them to my advantage." The man explained quickly. Aeris was beginning to look confused. "Jenova, an alien from the sky, was used in the experiments with some soldiers. He created Sephiroth clones. He wanted to make super soldiers. That was where I came in. the man didn't want Sephiroth, he wanted me because of the fact that I could control the cells. But he wanted to do it in a way that he could control me instead. It didn't work out that way. I was able to escape and eventually wound up finding you all. We searched for Sephiroth to get rid of him once and for all. He had taken the black materia from the Temple of the Ancients and was planning on using it to summon Meteor to destroy the planet. And in the end, we met up in the Northern Crater. You following me here?"

"I think so…" Aeris nodded slowly. Her mouth gaped open.

"Ok, good. Cause here comes the hard part. Sephiroth and I got into a serious battle. He ended up killing me, tricking me." The man got quite a moment. "I was stabbed numerous times. You and the others showed up right after I threw him over the edge of the cliff. You were angry, ran away to the City of the Ancients. You prayed for holy, to save the planet but Sephiroth had followed you. He killed you, stabbing you in the back."

"…" she looked at him incredulously. "No…that couldn't have happened." She laughed. "You're lying to me."

"I'm not, Aeris. I promise." Zack kneeled down before her. "You have a scar, don't you? Did you ever notice it?" the woman gasped. Her hand went to the spot below her ribcage.

"I, I thought that perhaps it was a wound from a battle that I did not remember."

"It's the scar from Sephiroth's sword." Zack informed her.

"…I don't want to believe it." Aeris shook her head. "But how are we here now?"

"That's what we're trying to find out." He stood. "It's a confusing mess, really. All we know is that it has something to do with the fact that when we died, our bodies landed in the Lifestream."

"So we both died, you twice…and now we are back and that is why we are all together again, to find out why we have come back?" Aeris talked slowly.

"That's right." Zack nodded.

"But my mom." Aeris shook her head.

"She was devastated. She couldn't handle it. She packed her things and left, never returning to her home. We don't know where she is." He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"But mom! She never acts like that. Why would she do such a thing? I can't imagine her ever being so upset!" Aeris covered her face. "I ruined her life!"

"No!" Zack held onto her. "Don't say that. None of this is your fault."

"It is! I should have never gone with you all. I should have stayed home! Because I left, I was killed and my mom is nowhere to be seen! She's gone and I'll never see her again!" the woman sobbed.

"…You…never wanted to be with us?" Zack looked at the floor.

"I lost mom because of leaving." The woman cried. "I've lost years of my life because of it!"

"But, you saved the planet! If it weren't for you the planet would be gone and everyone would have died, including your mom." He tried to talk some sense into her.

"I did?" the woman lifted her head. "I saved the planet?"

"You saved it from meteor and you saved it from Geostigma." Zack nodded.

"Geostigma?" she sniffled.

"It was a disease. Jenova was trying to strike back at the planet. She gave the sickness to our friends and to the children. You were able to cure it."

"But I was dead." Aeris whispered.

"Even in death you tried your best to protect the planet." The man gave her a reassuring smile. "You always wanted to keep people safe. You felt it was your duty."

"…We'll find my mom?" she asked.

"I promise." Zack nodded.

Aeris smiled and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his chest. He held onto her.

"Thank you." she whispered.



* * *

Cid seemed to be going hyper-speed. He had everyone dropped off in their own locations around the world before the day had turned into night.

"Yee haw! Get to see my Shera!" the pilot lowered his plane onto the grassy field outside of his small town. "Won't she be surprised!" he quickly shut off the engines and ran out of the ship and into the tall grass.

The wind was blowing, making the plains ripple like the ocean. It had been about a month since he had last seen her. The man ran a hand through his blonde messy hair. He scratched his chin, reminding himself that he needed a shave. He hurried down the brick street toward his small home. Lightning flashed on the horizon, revealing large poofy clouds. He made his way up the small stairs and knocked on the front door, it was late but he noticed the kitchen light was still on. The door to the house opened slowly with a soft click. Shera squint her eyes at the dark figure on her porch, her glasses sliding down her nose. She looked exhausted. Not to mention her figure was a bit fuller than usual. He noticed a plastic tub in her hand. Was she depressed? Shera always had the habit of getting into the ice cream when she was upset about something.

"Evenin' miss!" Cid nodded his head once.

"Oh! CID!" Shera opened the screen door and leapt onto the front step, hugging the man tightly. "I've missed you so much!" she cried out.

"Didn't think you'd miss my lazy ass that much." The man laughed quietly.

"Come in! It will rain soon. I've been watching the weather all night, worried that you'd be caught in the storm!" she tugged his arm, dragging him into the house. Cid's eyes had to adjust to the light. He looked about the home, it was a disaster.

"Shera, look at this place." Cid muttered. "What the hell have you been doin'?" he looked down the hall to one of the room, his study where he kept his supplies and research for his planes. "Ah! My stuff!" he stared at her quickly.

"I decided to make more room here." Shera explained nervously. "I think that we should maybe build a new shed to put all your stuff in."

"Damn it, Shera. What's gotten into you? I thought we've talked about this before. I don't have the time to make a shed for all my stuff, besides we don't use that room anyways. I know it's a mess. How bout I just go through everything and reorganize?" the man grabbed a cigarette.

"We are going to need the extra room, Cid." The woman placed a hand on her stomach.

"Why the hell will we need the extra room?" The man scratched his head. He placed the cigarette in his mouth. He grabbed the tub from her hands. "What did I tell you about the ice cream? You're gonna make yourself sick eating that much." The man grabbed the tub from her hands. The woman reached up and pulled the cigarette from his lips. He protested.

"No more smoking. Not for a while at least." The woman shook her head. "And I'm gonna have to eat more than usual."

"What?" the man stared at her. She smiled at him. His eyes went from the empty room down the hall, to the tub of ice cream in his hand and then to her swollen belly. His mouth dropped. "Oh damn…"

"I'm pregnant, Cid." Shera twiddled her fingers.

"Pregnant!?" the man held onto the sides of his head. "You…got a baby in your belly!?"

"That's right." The woman laughed.  
"But, babies are expensive! They…need room! My study! I'm gonna need to add on to the house, build a garage. I'm gonna be a daddy!" the man walked in circles around the couch in the living room.

"And stop smoking." She grinned.

"Smoking! That's what Tifa's been tellin'…." He looked at his wife curiously.

"Tifa knew." Shera smirked. "I told her to keep an eye on you and keep you from smoking too much."

"Aw, hell, Shera!" the man grabbed his pack of cigarettes and threw them across the room. "Why didn't you jes' tell me!"

"You're not mad!?" Shera exclaimed. "About quitting?"

"Just get me a couple packs of gum and some tea and I'll be set!" the man stared at the mess on the floor. "I need a smoke." He groaned.

"Go outside." Shera ordered.

The man stumbled a bit. He grabbed the woman's shoulders for support.

"But…I'm so old! How's that possible?" the man raised an eyebrow. "I'm gonna be his grandpa before he's done with school!"

"You're not that old!" Shera beamed.

"You sure it's mine?" he looked at her nervously.

"Cid!" she put her hands on her hips.

"Oh damn… wait till I tell the others." He mumbled. "I'll never hear the end of it from Barret."

"Are you happy?" her voice was soft.

"Happy? Of course I'm happy!" the man hugged the woman. His heart was pounding; he felt he was going to drop dead any second. "Scared to hell but damn happy!"

"I'm glad!" she hugged him back, kissing him on the cheek. They stood in silence a moment.

'And I thought I was going to surprise her! Damn Shera always outdoin' me.' He grinned.

"So…" he thought a moment. It had been quite a long time since he last seen his wife. "How bout we try an make it twins?" he drawled.

"Oh! Cid!" Shera giggled.

* * *

"There it is." Zack pointed to the old, decrepit church before them.

"This is my church?" Aeris gasped. It was horrible! There were holes everywhere, the roof was literally missing, and parts of one wall were gone.

"Afraid so." The man opened the large wooden door to the building. He held it open for the woman.

Aeris held her hands next to her chest. Her mouth hung open in shock. Her church was once a beautiful thing, but now it looked dead and grey. She looked to the middle where her garden should have been. There was a small pool of water surrounded by her favorite yellow flowers. The sight of them made her smile.

"They never died." Zack said. He sat in one of the nearby pews, watching the woman.

She trotted next to the flowers and squatted. Her fingers rubbed the petals. There wasn't a sound in the air. Her church was always in a quiet location but now that the slums were gone and Midgar was destroyed, there wasn't a sound at all. She could hear and feel the wind. She could smell the cold, crisp are that was the symbol of approaching snow. Wutai was getting over its snowy season while Midgar and Edge were beginning it.

"It's so peaceful here." She whispered. "Someday I would like to rebuild my church."

"I will help." Zack nodded.

"Would you?" she smiled at him.

"Of course."

"…Why?" she tilted her head.

"Because, this place is special to you." He didn't want to mention that it was special to him, that it held many memories of him and Aeris. "Do I need a reason?"

"No, I suppose not. Just curious I suppose." She giggled. She looked upward at the ceiling. She stared at the holes in the roof. She remembered the sight before her. She could see the sector's plate overhead, could hear the violent explosion that sounded and could see a man fall in front of her into her garden. She fell backward, her eyes rolling into her head slightly. This greatly alarmed the man in the pew. Zack leapt to his feet and kneeled down beside her, lifting her head.

"What happened!?" he gasped.

"…The explosion." She mumbled. She could see Cloud laying in her garden and she trying to wake him up. He had his typical blonde spiky hair, his brilliant blue eyes, and a uniform that was navy in color. It was like the uniform Zack described he had worn in SOLDIER. "Cloud… he fell. He fell through the roof."

"…Cloud fell through the roof?" Zack asked quietly. He thought a moment. He remembered Cloud telling him that he had fallen through the roof of Aeris' church. That was how they first met.

"He fell through the roof, not you." Aeris sat up. She gave him a confused look. "You told me that you fell through the roof."

"I, I did." He nodded quickly. "Cloud had done the same."

"How's that possible? How can two men with the same uniform drop through my church in the exact same place?" she stood slowly. "It's impossible. It can't happen."

"It did…" he stared at her with hurtful eyes. "You think I'm lying."

"Maybe you are. Who knows." She took a few steps back. She was scared, confused, worried, and now she finally realized that she didn't know a thing about Zack. She couldn't remember anything about him. She tried to get the memory back of Zack falling through the roof but it didn't seem right. It was only a split second of a memory the last time, but this time she remembered everything. She remembered Cloud vividly. She remembered their conversation. He made a plan to be her bodyguard, not Zack. She said she'd go on a date with Cloud, not Zack.

"Aeris, please." The man reached out for her.

"Don't." She pulled her hand away. "I don't know anything about you. I don't have any memories of you."

"None?" he asked. He felt the heavy flutter of his heart seeing her scared of him.

"Cloud and I…We traveled together." She whispered. She felt another series of memories string together. She could hear music, like a theme park. They were at the Gold Saucer. "The date. We went on 

a date." She remembered the play they were in, the ride around the park while watching the fireworks, and then the night in his hotel room. She gasped loudly and turned away from the dark haired man.

"Aeris?" Zack dropped his head. Why couldn't she remember anything about him?

"We went to the Gold Saucer." She felt the familiar sting of tears. "Cloud and I… we went on a date. That night…"

Zack knew exactly what she was talking about. He had come to the Gold Saucer to find her. He did, but she was with Cloud. He heard them talking in his room, she was upset about something. He couldn't stand the silence that followed. He knew what was happening. He remembered the feel of the cold wooden door as he sank to the floor. Aeris was remembering her time with Cloud, those emotions she felt then. He felt like he lost everything, she didn't remember him, their kisses, and their time together. Perhaps she didn't want to remember.

"Why can't I remember anything about you, Zack?" she held her hands to her chest. She was scared and she didn't know why.

"I, I don't know, Aeris." He muttered.

"Tell me something, anything! Maybe I'll remember." She backed herself against the wall. She remembered her feelings for Cloud. She was in love and right now more confused than ever. He and Tifa were together, weren't they? Why would he leave her in the room with Zack if he had feelings for her? Why would he leave her with Zack if he didn't trust Zack? Maybe Zack was worth trusting, but there was nothing between her and him except for what developed over the past week.

"I don't know what to tell you Aeris." The man sighed. "I fell through the roof. I fell through a long time ago."

"But you said you fell through the roof during that first time with the others when they were AVALANCHE. But if that were the case, then you couldn't have fallen through then because that was when Cloud fell through. And you didn't meet up with us till after all that happened. Zack your storied aren't matching up! How am I supposed to believe anything you say if you're stories are contradicting?" the woman stared at the yellow flowers.

"I'm sorry, Aeris. I haven't been completely honest with you." The man felt stupid. He was so caught up in keeping her from knowing they had dated in the past that he didn't pay attention to what he had told her and what part of the truth he had altered. He was actually making things worse rather than better.

"I want to leave. I want to be with the others." Aeris headed for the door. "I want to see Tifa."

"Ok." Zack barely managed to say.

'Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!' he mentally smacked himself.

* * *

"It's so quiet here without the kids." Tifa sighed.

"How long is Barret going to watch them?" Cloud mumbled. He was sitting backwards in one of the wooden chairs.

"For a few days." Tifa smiled. "That means we have the house to ourselves!" she cheered.

"Been a while, huh?" Cloud smirked.

He remembered the day he and Tifa moved in. It was a dingy tiny place. It didn't take long, however, for Tifa to cover the grey walls with photographs. She carried her camera with her everywhere. She took photos of Marlene, the orphans around town and the building city. She was constantly getting snapshots of Cloud and his bike. She found it amusing that he didn't like his picture taken. She opened her bar immediately bringing in the whole city. Cloud was busy helping her set up and serve the drinks. After a while, being tired of dealing with people, he remained by the bar washing glasses and mixing drinks. The earned better tips anyways when Tifa was the waitress. Before he knew it, they had adopted Denzel. He and Marlene were good friends. Barret was often traveling the world for new resources for energy so he let the other two take care of Marlene while he was gone. Tifa and Cloud simply skipped dating and getting married and moved on into parenthood. It was a big step, Cloud thought he could handle it, but the action of it was more painful than he imagined. He was afraid of the commitment. Afraid of having the chance of losing Tifa and the kids, being in charge of taking care of them. That was when he decided to start his delivery business. He would be away from the home. Tifa could care for the children, she wouldn't be lonely. That's what he thought. He didn't think himself worthy enough to be with her. He knew he was doing the complete opposite of what he wanted by running away.

"I was a fool." The man said monotonously.

"Hm?" Tifa sat in a chair next to him; they stared out the window together. Tiny snowflakes decorated the already snow covered ground. It was quite a surprise to come home to this weather especially since just a month ago the weather had barely gotten into low temperatures.

"I'm sorry, Tifa." He glanced at her.

"For what?" she asked quietly. She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear him explain. They woke up that morning together and neither said a word until they were downstairs. They didn't mention a thing about it since and it worried her. Maybe he was talking about that. Maybe he thought it was a mistake.

"For running." He leaned his chin on the back of the chair. "I didn't mean to hurt you like that." It seemed a little difficult for him to say these things.

"It's ok Cloud." The woman smiled.

"It isn't though. I hurt you…a lot. And it was selfish of me." He closed his eyes. "I realized something last night, Tifa."

"What?" she asked after a long silence. He faced her.

"I like being with you." He smirked.

"…With me?" she asked, her face turning red. She brought a hand to her cheek, trying to hide her embarrassment. Cloud reached up and took that hand. He stared at the ring on her finger. His thumb rubbed over the surface.

"I made you a promise…" Cloud said softly. "And I do not plan on breaking that promise." He lifted her hand and kissed the top of it gently. Tifa felt like she was going to pass out, two nights in a row where Cloud shows affection. This was unheard of!

"So…you're not leaving?" she asked him.

"Never." He nodded once.

* * *

Zack and Aeris approached the bar Tifa and Cloud lived in. She kept her distance from the dark haired man. She felt very uncomfortable being near him.

"We're here…" he said rather cold.

"…" Aeris hesitantly went to the door. She waited a moment. She looked over her shoulder. Zack was walking away, snowflakes flurrying around him. He leaned against a nearby tree keeping his back to her. He obviously wasn't coming. The woman turned to the door and knocked.

She could hear the soft clicks of the locks being undone. The door opened and before her stood Cloud.

"Aeris?" he asked. "What are you doing here I thought you were with…" then he noticed the man in the background. He was slouching, his head hung low. Cloud knew that something bad had happened. Zack was not in a good mood. "You want to come in?"

"Ok." Aeris answered nervously.

"Cloud! I'm going to run to the store real quick! You want me to pick you up some-." Tifa came down the staircase. She was putting on her jacket and pulling on her scarf when she noticed Aeris. "Aeris."

"I don't need anything." Cloud said quickly.

"Ok…" Tifa walked past him. She looked at Aeris. "Everything alright?"

"I just need to talk to someone real quick." Aeris whispered. "I need to get some stories straightened out."

"Oh…" Tifa answered barely audibly. She had never seen Aeris so upset in the entire time she had known her. The woman opened the door and left the building she saw a man leaning against the tree in the yard. Obviously something happened between those two. She thought it best to leave the man alone. He looked as if he was about to kill someone…or himself.

"What's wrong?" Cloud asked. He pulled a chair out from one of the tables for Aeris to sit on.

"Zack…the stories he tells me do not add up." She shook her head sadly. "I'm scared, Cloud. I don't know what to think anymore. He tells me one thing but I remember something different. "

"Like what?" the man leaned back in the chair.

"I had a brief memory. He fell through the roof of the church. He said it was true and told me some other things. Well today I went to the church and I remembered something completely different. You fell through the roof, I remembered our conversation. I remembered…other things." Aeris looked at her wrists, she was wearing the banged up golden bracelets. She had worn them every day and she did not know why. They looked terrible now. Why were they special to her?

"Other things?" he cleared his throat.

"Cloud? Did you and I have a relationship?" she spat out.

"…" the man stared at her wide eyed.

"Did we? Please tell me." She bit her lip.

"Something like that, Aeris." He sighed. "What all has Zack told you?"

"The stories don't match up because when he fell through the roof he said was when we were all together the first time, but that wouldn't match up because that would be during the time you fell through the roof. So I'm confused, I don't know which memories to trust and whether or not I can trust him." Aeris went on explaining in great detail all of the conversations she and Zack had. Cloud was slightly confused as well as to why he would lie about certain things. "It's like he's hiding something, like he doesn't want me to know. Why would he do that?" Then Cloud understood.

'He doesn't want her to know that they dated in the past. He wants her to figure things out on her own.' He rubbed his face.

"Oh boy. Zack look at the mess you're in." the man chuckled.

"Mess?" Aeris tilted her head to the side.

"He's trying to protect you, not keep things from you. There are some things he doesn't want to tell you because he's afraid it may cause some problems. Trust me; Zack is not a bad person. He isn't trying to hurt you. He's afraid of losing you." The blonde stood from his chair.

"Losing me?" she was very curious now.

"Give it time. You'll understand soon, I'm sure. I think you should be talking to him, not me." Cloud helped her from her seat.

"He told me about Nibelheim…" Aeris whispered. Cloud froze. "Is that true?"

"Yeah." Cloud turned to her. "I couldn't protect them… just like how I couldn't protect you."

Aeris remembered Cloud running up the stairs of the platform. He looked scared and worried. She remembered the blade running through her body and the strange feeling it was. Cloud grabbed her, tears falling down his face. She felt like she was going to burst. She didn't like to see him cry.

"Don't blame yourself." Aeris took a step closer to him. Cloud looked to the side. He wanted to forget all of that. He was afraid that if he remembered all that pain he'd run again.

"How can I not blame myself when I wasn't quick enough to save the woman I loved?" Cloud turned to walk away. He wanted to avoid this. He was running yet again but he was doing it for Zack and for Aeris. He had his chance and he blew it, he knew it wasn't right. It wasn't possible. He was outgrowing his days of the past and was ready for the days ahead, with Tifa. He wanted to be with Tifa, not the past.

'But it's not the past anymore. It's the now.' Cloud remembered what Tifa had told him many times.

"Loved?" Aeris grabbed hi s arm. Old feelings began to rise.

"I did." Cloud nodded. His blonde bangs hovered over his face, hiding his blue eyes.

"Not anymore?" she swallowed hard.

"…I always will, but you need to realize that you love someone else."

"I do?" her eyes saddened.

"You do." He nodded and leaned down, kissing her on the forehead. "Go talk to Zack. Give him another chance to explain things to you. He's the best man I've ever known but he does make mistakes too."

"Ok." Aeris nodded slowly. She wanted to cry. She was sure she loved Cloud because of those memories. Maybe she was reliving those events and it was true she no longer loved him. Maybe she always will love him too. She needed to find that other love, however. She wanted to know who and what it was.

Cloud led her to the door. He opened it slowly. Aeris walked out into the cold. She looked back at the man and smiled, feeling much better.

"I know it's a hard time for you right now, but be patient. You'll figure things out soon." The blonde gave her a warm smile.

"Thanks, Cloud." She turned and made her way to the man who was now across the street and in one of the parks.

Cloud shut the door quietly behind him. He sighed loudly and went to the bar. He needed a drink.

* * *

"Did you find out everything you wanted to know?" Zack's voice was ragged and rough.

"Not everything." Aeris stood behind him. She stared at his back. "He told me to talk to you." Zack turned to face the woman.

"It's my fault." He stated.

"What is?"

"That you can't remember anything." He walked through the snow, his smoky breath trailed around him like cigarette smoke.

"What?" she stopped walking beside him.

"You fell because of me." He didn't face her. Instead he looked at the moon in the sky. "I ran from you, thinking you were Sephiroth. I thought he was playing a trick on me. You had his sword. It was how he killed me the first time. He was posing as you and he stabbed me. He found my weakness."

"You're weakness?" Aeris rubbed her arms, trying to stay warm.

"You can't remember a thing because I ran away. That monster flew down and took you and Sephiroth with it. If I had waited for you, you would be fine, safe and have all your memory." He cursed.

"I don't blame you. I can see why you would do that." She answered softly.

"Why can't you!? Why can't you blame someone for once!?" he yelled.

"How can I blame someone when it wasn't their fault?" she yelled back.

"Because…then it sounds like it was just a mistake, it wasn't carelessness…" the man stared at the ground.

"Zack…things happen for a reason." She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Of course it does! Everything has happened for a reason! And just like everything else, this reason was for you to forget me!" he choked. He turned away from her, pulling his pea coat tighter around him.

"But I don't want to forget you!" she ran after him.

"You always do, Aeris! You always manage to find a way to think I never existed!" the man sniffed.

"…I don't understand."

"Of course you don't, you can't remember!" he cried out in aggravation. "Argh! I need to leave, I need to think things through." He walked away from her once again.

Aeris was devastated. This man was yelling at her about things she didn't understand, things she couldn't remember. She felt awful. It was her fault that he was upset. Wasn't it? She sobbed.

"Why do you always have to make me cry!?" she screamed. He stopped in his tracks.

"What?" he looked over his shoulder.

"You had to stay in SOLDIER! You just had to, didn't you!? You couldn't just stay here. You had to run off to protect everyone else. Why couldn't you stay and protect me!? Why couldn't you stay and protect yourself!? You had to care about everyone else in the world but those closest to you! You left your parents and you left me! All for SOLDIER! You were gone! You never came back! You were gone for five years without a word! I thought you had run off with another girl, found a new home!" she screamed and shouted. She stomped her feet and clenched her fists. Her tears streamed down her face. "And that was after so many years of thinking that you were dead! Worried that you were killed, imagining what had happened to you!" he turned to her and strode forward he grabbed her arm.

"Because, Aeris, I was DEAD! I was in SOLDIER to protect you! I was on my way home to see you! I was coming to Midgar! Was only miles away when I was killed! My last thoughts were of that girl I told Cloud about, YOU! I fought so hard to stay alive every day, escaped the lab and traveled the world looking for YOU! And you know what I saw when I finally found you? I found you in the arms of another man, a man who thought he was me. Cloud Strife, the man you ran to just now because you didn't trust me. You didn't trust me back then and obviously you don't trust me now." the man shouted. He dropped her arm and walked away. He cringed at the sound of her cries.

"I didn't tell you everything because I wanted you to figure things out for yourself. And I think I figured them out instead." The man growled. Aeris sat on her knees in the snow, watching the man walk away from her, ignoring her cries. Zack Fair left her all alone, to fend for herself.

* * *



End of this chapter. A longer one. If there's a few mistakes, sorry. I'll edit it later. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Ended it on a sour note but more exciting things to come in the next chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	20. Chapter 20

Howdy! Don't know what else to say. Here's the new chapter. Let's start where we left off. –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 20**

Aeris awoke in a very soft bed. She opened her eyes slowly. It was still dark; she could see moonlight cascading into the bedroom. She recognized the room as Tifa's. How she got here, she could not remember. She saw that she wasn't wearing her clothes. She sat up slowly, noticing her damp outfit from the day draped over a chair by a small desk. She closed her eyes, thinking.

"_Oh my god!" Tifa ran to the unconscious body lying in the snow. "Aeris! What happened!? Aeris!" she dropped her groceries and shook the woman. _

"_Cloud!!" Tifa's screams could be heard. The woman darted across the street, crying out. It didn't take long for the blonde to rush outdoors and head toward the frantic woman. _

"_What!? Tifa what's wrong?" he followed her to where Aeris' body lay. _

"_I don't know! I was just on my way from the store and I saw her lying here in the snow!" Tifa picked up her bags as the man lifted the woman from the ground. _

"_She's been out here for a while. She didn't stay long after you left." The man hurried back across the street toward their home. _

"_Zack…" Aeris whispered. "Find Zack." She whimpered. _

"_I'll find him." Cloud nodded. _

"_Let's take her to my room. I'll sleep in Marlene's bed. I'll get her a change of clothes, you find Zack." Tifa opened the door and set the bags on the bar. She followed Cloud upstairs. _

"_I'll be back as quickly as I can. Don't worry, I'll be coming home tonight." The man gave her a smile as he set Aeris on the bed. _

"_Please find him, Cloud." Tifa began pulling at Aeris' sweater. "I don't think they resolved their problem."_

"_Damn right I'll find him." Cloud turned away quickly. He pulled his thick coat from the hanger on his door across the hall and slid it on as he descended the stairs. _

'_And when I do, I'm kicking his ass.' _

The woman rubbed her eyes. She pulled the covers off her body and slowly stood from the mattress. She shivered, tugging on the wool blanket at the foot of the bed. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was very late, most likely everyone was asleep already. She made her way to the door, perhaps to go downstairs to get a glass of water, she didn't know. Then she heard a noise. The front door to the bar slammed shut. She heard a faint mumble, two male voices. They were arguing. Aeris opened the door to her room quietly, barely leaving a crack. She listened intently.

"What the #& were you thinking!? Do you have any idea!?" Aeris narrowed her eyes, as if thinking it may help her hearing. Was that Cloud's voice? She never heard him yell before.

"…Didn't…I thought…you…lecture." another voice. It was barely audible. She couldn't make out a thing he was saying. The voices were getting closer. She could hear boots walking up the stairs. Aeris gasped and shut the door silently.

"Whatever. We'll talk more later. Get some rest. You can have my room." They passed by her door. "I'll take Denzel's bed. You can change into some of my clothes." The door of the room next to hers shut. Aeris listened silently. She could hear Cloud murmuring in the next room to Tifa. She waited and there was another sound of a door closing down and across the hall from her.

Aeris remained another minute before opening her door. No doubt, Cloud had just brought Zack home. She was happy, excited, and sad all at the same time. She did not mean to get the man in trouble. It was her fault sitting out in the snow too long. The doctor had told her to take it easy. The mix of the cold and the stress must have caused her to pass out. She slid through the door and tiptoed toward the staircase. She descended the stairs quietly and made her way to the sink by the bar. Aeris got herself a glass of water and just as simply made her way back up. The floor boards creaked under her footing, causing her breath to hitch. She didn't want to alarm anyone, she also wasn't sure if she should let them know she was awake. She didn't want them to worry about her and stay up late asking her twenty questions. She took another step and reached the door to Tifa's room, staring at her feet. She felt herself bump into something cold and hard.

"Oh!" she looked up, coming face to face with Zack. His hair was wet; a few snowflakes could still be seen in the dark mess. His arms were crossed, he looked to the side. He obviously didn't plan on running into her yet. He was still cold from his walk around Edge in search of a vacant hotel. Cloud had managed to find the man in a dark alley. "Sorry." Aeris whispered. She tried to walk around him to get into the room.

"Um…" the man spoke up. Aeris stopped; she glanced upward. There was an excruciatingly long, awkward silence. "I…I'm sorry." He kept his arms crossed. His voice was soft and scratchy. "I shouldn't have been such an ass."

"It's ok." Aeris barely managed to get out. She turned back toward the door.

"No, it's not." He looked down at her. "I'm sorry, Aeris. I shouldn't have kept anything from you. I just didn't want to make anything uncomfortable for you. I thought that maybe… it would hinder things if I told you about the past between the two of us."

"I understand." Aeris gave a weak smile.

"And I don't know what I was thinking. I shouldn't have left you out there by yourself. I thought you'd come back here…" he sighed. She could see a sparkle in his eyes, was he sad? Had he been crying earlier? The thought was a little intriguing to her. Did he care that much about her? "I should have never yelled at you. I never wanted to hurt you and I understand if you want me to just leave you alone. I'll leave in the morning and you won't have to worry about a thing." He turned away from her, taking a ragged breath.

"No." she shook her head. "I don't want that, Zack." The woman whispered.

"Y, you don't?" He glanced at her over his shoulder, revealing the pale glow of an eye.

"No. I want the opposite." She smiled. "I want to be by your side. I don't want to be without you."

"You don't want me to leave you here with Cloud and Tifa?" he asked.

"Nope. I want to go with you. Besides, you promised you'd take me around the world to see all those wonderful places. You said I'd get to meet your parents, find my mom, and you did say you'd help rebuild my church." She giggled softly. The woman held her hands behind her back shyly. She swayed her hips back and forth. Zack glanced at the ceiling, taking in another breath, he tried so hard not to show her how weak he was, how much of a crybaby he was. He got picked on when he was a child for being too sensitive.

"You're too forgiving, you know that?" he turned to her. His eyes were downcast, his sable bangs covering his face.

"One of my weaknesses." She grinned.

"I'm still an ass." The man breathed a laugh. His eyes lifted.

"Maybe…" she shrugged. "But you're a cute ass." She wiped her thumbs across the corners of his eyes. Indeed they were slightly damp.

"I'm sorry." He apologized again.

"No more apologies, Zack." She held onto his face. The man winced, a small hissing sound emitting from his lips. "What happened?" she squint her eyes trying to get a look at the cut on the side of his face.

"Cloud…he was pretty pissed when he found me." The man gave a small laugh, embarrassed. "Almost made me walk home, but he decided it would be easier for him to lecture me if I was next to him on the bike."

"See the trouble I caused?" the woman examined the small wound. "I get you all upset, pass out, make them all worried and then they have to look for you, you get hit and then lectured."

"This time, you should put the blame on someone other than yourself." The man placed his hands on hers. "I take full responsibility for this and it is my fault. I shouldn't have left you; I don't know what I was thinking. How are you? Are you alright? You're not frozen are you?"

"Not anymore, I thawed out in bed." The woman whispered. "I'll be fine."

"You sure?" his tone was serious.

"Yeah." She averted her gaze from his.

"Ok…well then. You should get some rest." The man cleared his throat. He made his way to Cloud's room.

"Zack?" she asked.

"Hm?" he faced her once more.

"Don't ever leave me again." She stared at her feet. It was more of a request than an order.

"…I won't. I promise." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You remembered."

"A little." She confessed. "Just you being in soldier and some of the feelings I had when you left for the missions."

"Aeris, I'm sorry if I ever hurt you. It was my job. I tried hard to get my missions accomplished quickly…just so I could come home to you." He leaned sideways against the wall.

"…I must've been such a burden." She smiled. "I'm high maintenance."

"No. You were the opposite. I could just think about you and it'd help me get through my day." The man grinned, deep in thought. He missed those days, when things seemed normal. He worked, earned a good paycheck, and would write letters to his parents. He would clock out early to make sure he made his way down the city streets to buy a flower from the young woman or to catch her planting more flowers in the church.

"I'm sorry I didn't remember you, Zack." The woman stood with her hands behind her back. "I feel horrible about it. But I know that I wouldn't forget you on purpose. I never could, you know?" her voice was quiet.

"I'm sorry I made you worry, and made you cry." He clenched his teeth. That was the worst, knowing he made her cry.

"It's all in the past, Zack. Let's focus on the now." She said softly. "Enough apologies."

"Sounds good." The man grinned. Aeris walked up to him. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek where the bruise was forming from Cloud's punch.

"To make it feel better." She giggled.

"I bet it's already healed." He grinned.

"Oh! I can heal it!" Aeris remembered.

"Nope." The man held up a hand. She gave him a confused look. "I think I'll keep this a while. It'll make a nice reminder. Besides, gives me more character."

"Maybe it'll turn into a scar." Aeris suggested.

"Ooh. That'd be cool." He smirked.

"Naw. I wouldn't want it to scar."

"Why not?"

"I like you better the way you are." She said quietly. She made her way to Tifa's room. "Stay warm, Zack Fair."

"I'll try." He rubbed his hands over his arms. "Say, if you…uh, get cold, I'll just be down the hall…"

"Zack…" the woman rolled her eyes. "Get some sleep."

"Good night." He said quickly and shut the door behind him. Aeris followed his actions. She made her way to the bed across the room. She stared out the window. Tiny flakes of snow mixed with icy drizzle swirled in the breeze. The sight made her shiver.

'Zack, I'll remember you. I promise. There's something about you that…I feel I can't allow myself to forget.' She pulled the covers over herself. She couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like sleeping in his arms again. She just might have to take him up on that offer.

Then there was a knock at the door. The woman hopped from the covers in surprise. Had she awoken Cloud and Tifa? She gently pulled the door open a crack. A tall figure pushed his way in between the door and the frame.

"Zack!" Aeris widened the gap. "What are you doing?" she whispered.

"I just thought of something…" He began. She raised an eyebrow at the man. Seeing as she did not protest, Zack pushed the door open further letting himself in.

"What?" She glanced at him from her peripheral. The man leaned forward, only centimeters away.

"I didn't get to give _you_ a kiss goodnight." He whispered against her lips.

Aeris couldn't help the goose bumps she felt at the contact. He wrapped his arms around her. She could feel that he was still cold from the weather outside.

"You're freezing." She giggled.

"I thought you could help warm me up." The man gave her an ornery smile.

"…As long as we get to stay in my room this time." Aeris exchanged a matching smirk with the man.

* * *

Daylight had come quickly. Aeris awoke to herself in the bed. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at the loss of body heat, now being alone. She rolled over, letting out a yawn. There was the faint murmur of conversation downstairs along with the sounds of a sizzle and crackle. Stretching, she sat up in bed. She could smell the familiar scent of bacon. Most likely Tifa was playing chef for the boys. There was a low growl sounding from beneath the covers. She was famished! The woman hopped out of bed and made her way to the closet beside the bathroom. There was a warm, cotton robe hanging behind the door. She slipped it on and made her way down the stairs to join the party.

"There she is." Cloud muttered. He sipped at the dark coffee in his mug.

"Thought you'd never wake up!" Tifa gave a cheerful smile. "Zack was up and about long before any of us were."

"Where is he?" Aeris looked about the empty bar.

"Outside…he insisted on getting some training done today." The blonde haired man tilted his head toward one of the windows.

Aeris walked to the glass, peering outside. Zack was indeed outside. He was twirling and swinging his blade from side to side. She watched in amusement as the man practiced his hand to hand combat, as if fighting a ghost. It seemed like a show rather than training, but needless to say it was still impressive. Snow kicked up with every twist and turn he made. He spun and she noticed his eyes were closed.

"Remarkable, isn't it?" Tifa grinned.

"Huh? Oh…" Aeris felt her face get hot. "I've never seen anyone… At least I don't remember."

"Zack's pretty intense at times. Right now he's just doing his meditative stuff." Cloud shrugged.

"Meditative?" the brown haired woman questioned.

"He's Soldier, First-Class. That stuff he's doing is effortless." The man stood. He walked around the bar to help Tifa in the kitchen. "You should see him in real battle if you think that's impressive."

"He makes it look so easy. I don't think I could even lift that sword…" the woman gaped at the training man outdoors. "How long does he usually train?"

"He could train all day." The blonde reached for some plates on the stop shelf of a cabinet. "He's been going at it for about three hours now." He leaned, getting a glimpse outside.

Zack lifted his sword into the air. He released it from his grip, dropped to the ground and began lifting in pushups long before the metallic object got a chance to hit the snow. Cloud shook his head to himself a smirk crossed his face.

"Breakfast's ready." Tifa beamed. She flipped a pancake in the pan.

"Should we stop him?" Aeris asked.

"No…just wait." Cloud sat in his chair.

"What?" the green eyed woman made her way to the table. Tifa looked just as interested.

"The man lives for food." The blonde mumbled.

Tifa placed food on the plates. She made an extra one for Zack and set it next to Aeris.

"Hope it doesn't get cold before he's finished-…" the woman was interrupted by the front door of the bar opening.

"Food!" Zack cheered happily. He had a large grin, his eyes tiny creases at his joy.

"Told you." Cloud stuffed half a pancake in his mouth.

"Shower first." Tifa put her hands on her hips. "No dirty boys at the table."

"Aww! Mom!" Zack rolled his eyes. He placed his hands behind his head and slowly made his way up the staircase.

"You certainly lay down the law here." Aeris poured herself some juice.

"Someone's got to." Tifa leaned forward, pointing her spatula at the man in front of her.

"Mwat?" the man questioned his mouth full of food. He swallowed hard.

"Nothing." Tifa sang. She made her way opposite of the bar and took her seat between the blonde and Aeris. "So…have you guys gotten the chance to talk yet?" she whispered.

"Tifa." Cloud warned.

"What!?" the dark haired girl placed her chin in her hand, sulking.

"It's their personal lives…" the man simply replied.

"And I'm her best friend, I'm supposed to know everything." The woman retorted. She glanced back at Aeris. "So?" Cloud sighed, continuing his breakfast.

"Actually, we had a small talk last night." Aeris said quietly.

"Last night!?" the woman leaned in, interested.

"After they got home. I went to get a glass of water and kinda…ran into him. We talked a bit." Aeris nodded.

"So…everything's ok now?" Tifa raised a brow.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Just like that?"

"Yup." Aeris smiled.

"You two did something bad, didn't you?!" Tifa gasped. Cloud was in disbelief at what he just heard.

"No!" the other woman laughed. She held a finger to her lips. "Nothing like that." She winked.

"Ahaha!" Tifa covered her mouth. "Details…" she muttered through gritted teeth.

"Later…" the other woman returned the gesture. A lour pounding at the stairs grabbed their attention.

"That was fast…" Tifa gawked at the wet Zack. He was throwing on one of Cloud's white T-shirts. His hair was soaked, sticking to the side of his neck.

"Didn't want my food to get cold." He answered quickly before shoveling the grub into his mouth. He glanced upward at the two women as he did so. They each had the same look on their face, something mischievous."What? I got something on my face?"

"…" the women giggled.

"They were talking about you." Cloud muttered. Tifa turned around quickly slugging the man on the shoulder. He wrinkled his nose, giving a snarl.

"Oh?" Zack set down his fork. He leaned to the side, resting the side of his head in his hand. He smiled, batting his lashes. "And what'd they say?"

"Nothing." Aeris turned to her plate of food.

"Nothing?" the man asked; he stared at her with his blue eyes, hoping to get an answer from her.

"That's what I said." The woman tried to hold back a smile. He continued to stare. She raised her fork to take a bite, but couldn't find herself able to. She looked out the corner of her eye. He was still staring, still smiling. "Stop it." She spat.

"What?" He stared. She tried to ignore him. Even as she sipped from her glass she couldn't miss the brilliant, blue, glowing, piercing eyes watching her. He stared, and stared, and stared.

"Stop staring!?" She slapped her hands onto the bar surface.

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" He asked, never tearing his gaze away from her.

"Yes." She grumped, looking away.

'Oh boy…he's flirting.' Cloud rolled his eyes.

The staring contest continued. As every minute passed Aeris got redder and redder in the face. She couldn't eat, couldn't drink, and couldn't even face the other direction. That man was boring a hole through her body! She felt so nervous, felt so self-conscious, surely Zack knew this was what her reaction would be and this was why he was doing it. He was playing with her. She started to feel frustrated. She wanted to smack him over the head. Maybe that's what she'll do. She grinned.

"Stop it!" she slapped at him. The man dodged backward, her hand ramming into his chest. There was a loud thud.

"Ow!" The man cried out.

"Not so funny now, is it?" the woman stuck out her chin.

"Ya know… I could hit him for you, if you want." Tifa gave a violent smile, showing every tooth.

"How bout I just stop staring…" Zack cleared his throat. He turned to his food.

"Why don't you finish up eating and then you can take your girl to visit your parents." Tifa suggested.

"Girl?" Aeris questioned.

"Ya know, that sounds like a lovely idea, Tifa." Zack finished up his plate of food. He grabbed a toothpick and shoved it between his teeth. "I figure ma an' pa would love to see the misses!" the pick bobbed with each word.

"Misses?" Aeris choked on her juice.

"Sure. Ma's always looking forward to meetin' a future Misses Zack Fair." Cloud joined in, his voice long and drawn out with a hint of the same accent Cid had.

"What!?" Aeris looked about the room. What was with everyone picking on her this morning? Was there something going on she didn't know about?

"Just finish up yer eatin's… wouldn't want to keep ma and pa awaitin'." Tifa winked. She hadn't talked in an accent like that since she was a little girl growing up in the sticks. What scared her more was the fact that Cloud seemed a natural at it.

"Anything I should know about ma and pa before I meet them?" the green eyed woman glanced nervously at Zack. The man just grinned.

* * *

"You're taking the kids?" Reno asked. He was reluctant to let the rather large man into his apartment at first, but since Barret insisted there really was no choice.

"My turn to watch 'em." Barret's eyes darted all over the red head's apartment. There was a woman in the background. She looked familiar. She was also one of the Turks. He thought a moment. Yeah, her name was Elena. "Gonna take 'em to the Gold Saucer."

"Daddy!" Marlene's voice screeched from down the hall. A second later the girl ran out into the living room and into her father's arms.

"You been good for these people, baby?" the man lifted her with ease.

"Uh huh." She nodded.

"You weren't bad?" he questioned again.

"Nope, Denzel's the bad one." Marlene pointed at the boy sitting on the couch in front of the television.

"Is he?" Barret glanced to the side where the boy was.

"No I wasn't!" he jumped from where he sat.

"They both were fine." Reno scratched the back of his head. "There were no problems." He didn't dare mention the one exception where Marlene fell down the stairs. He hoped that Tifa hadn't said anything to the man. Speaking of Tifa, she was home now. Didn't she say she owed him a date? Maybe he'd ask for a free drink instead. God only knows he deserved it.

"You pack your things?" Barret asked the kids.

"I started packing this morning." Elena spoke up. "The kids should be all set."

"You guys ready to go to the Gold Saucer?" the large man asked in a cheesy voice. It was strange seeing such a scary man talk about such a happy, cheerful place. It was scary seeing him with children.

"YAY!" Marlene and Denzel darted to their room. In seconds they were back to the door with their entire luggage.

"Tell your babysitters bye." Barret set his daughter on the ground. He lifted the luggage and headed for the door.

"Bye, Reno!" Marlene shouted while running to the man. She wrapped an arm around his waist, hugging him. She did the same to Elena. Denzel said his goodbyes in a less affectionate way, but he did smile.

Within minutes Barret was gone and so were the children. Reno stood in his now apparently empty apartment. There was no sound at all. He looked about the room. Was it just him or did it feel real lonely in here?

"Reno?" Elena's voice broke the silence.

"They seemed happy to get out of here." The man answered her quietly.

"Reno." The woman sighed. She made her way up to him. "They were just excited. I think they had fun staying with you." She played with his ponytail.

"You think? Maybe I shoulda taken them to the theme park." He crossed his arms.

"Theme parks are expensive." The woman combed her fingers through his hair.

"But, I've got some money saved up…" the man stared at the now closed door of his apartment.

"You saved up a lot not going out to the bar every night." The woman laid a hand on her shoulder. Reno twitched. What was with her being so physical? Had she always played with his hair and he just now noticed?

"Yeah…" he muttered quietly. "Now I have the place to myself…it's quiet, no interruptions, more money for myself…" he turned to the blonde haired woman. Her chocolate brown eyes widened a moment, realizing she was touching him too much.

"Perhaps I should leave then. I wouldn't want to invade your personal space. I've been over here too much anyways." The woman laughed nervously and reached for her purse. The truth was she loved watching the children, but she loved watching the children with Reno. It wouldn't have been as much fun if he wasn't there.

"You don't have to." The man shook his head.

"But I've been here almost every day for the past few week."

"I don't mind." The man cleared his throat. Why was it so much quieter here? It made him feel very awkward. "You helped me out a lot, really. Why don't I make it up to you?"

"You don't have to." The woman smiled. "I had fun just being with you…and the kids."

"Dinner?" he invited her.

"Don't worry about it Reno." The woman giggled nervously. She didn't notice she was backing away from him. Why was she trying to escape?

"Where you going?" he asked. "Movie?" he walked slowly toward her.

"It's alright." She shook her head.

'Oops…door.' She bumped into the wooden surface. She was cornered. Reno kept approaching her.

"A walk on the beach?" he suggested.

"Um…I should be going…" her eyes darted everywhere but to the man. She jumped slightly as he placed a hand beside her head against the door.

"A night inside?" He gave an alternative.

'Oh boy.' Elena's eyes couldn't travel anywhere else but his face. Aquamarine stared into chocolate colored orbs.

"Yes please." The woman answered quickly.

She closed her eyes, feeling the kiss. There was a tingle that ran down her spine at the contact between her and the man. She dropped her purse, running her hands through his hair. He held onto her, his hands running down her back. He deepened the kiss. She was pulled closer and closer to him but never did make contact with his body. Then she realized they were moving, and moving toward the couch. A night indoors was exactly what she needed. Why go on a date, waste time and money when they can skip all that and get straight to the point? Reno liked her, and she liked Reno. What else more was there to say?

She wasn't worried, not at all…or was she? She didn't know. She wasn't sure, but damn, this felt right.

'I need to stop thinking so much.' The woman shut her eyes and allowed herself to actually feel.

* * *

Ok! Couldn't wait any longer. Finished this chapter early and I wanted to post it. Got some apologies, zack/aeris fluff, and finally got to the point where I could add some Elena/reno! Thanks for reading and reviewing hope you all enjoyed this chapter! More coming soon! -Annubis


	21. Chapter 21

Hi everyone! Sorry for the slight delay! My dang office expired and I had to download a new trial. Maybe someday ill be able to buy one instead of downloading the trials all the time. posted the last chapter real early, hope you all aren't impatient with me! Anyways, thanks for all the reviews, I appreciate them! Glad to see I have so many avid readers! Well lets get this new one started! In this chapter: "the greatest way to describe a troublesome rock…" –Annubis

* * *

**The Decision Between Life or Death:**

**A Second Chance**

**Chapter 21**

Soft music played through the speakers of the dashboard. Zack listened intently to the soft beat, feeling the tiny bumps and vibrations of the car. He could feel the warm air from the vent blowing gently across his face, like a ghostlike breeze. Tiny flakes of snow pelted against the glass next to his head. Ultramarine eyes traveled along the glass toward the seat in front of him. He stared at the back of Tifa's head. She was driving while Cloud sat in the passenger seat intently listening to the music, staring absentmindedly out the windshield. His gaze fell upon the sleeping woman next to him in the backseat. Aeris was snuggly buckled in, wearing her thick red coat. She was breathing softly; a small smile crossed her face.

"Is she sleeping again?" Tifa asked quietly. Her brown eyes questioned through the rearview mirror.

"Hm." Zack nodded.

There was a bump in the road, shaking the car. Aeris stirred from her sleep. She gave a soft moan as she stretched and sat up straighter in the seat. Her eyes blinked a couple of times, taking in the scenery.

"Sleep well?" Zack asked. The woman glanced at him, a sheepish smile on her face. "You've been sleeping a lot lately. You feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." The woman glanced at the two sitting in front of her. "I just like to sleep."

"Funny, you were always one to get up early and stay up late." The man repositioned himself to get more comfortable. He hated riding in cars for this long. He would have rather ridden by plane but there was no airport near Gongaga. Besides, Tifa had insisted on taking them herself. She thought a road trip sounded like fun.

"Actually…" the woman cleared her throat. "I've had a lot more dreams lately, and I think that they are memories resurfacing."

"Really?" Zack raised his eyebrows.

"At least, they seem so real. I can't tell which ones are real and which ones are not." The woman twirled her hair. "But I still like to sleep because it gives me the sense that I am remembering and I feel a bit more whole. Some stick with me and others don't. I think the ones that do are the real memories, but I guess I'll never really know." She shrugged sadly.

"Why don't you tell me some of them? Maybe we can tell you if they were real or not. Have you had any dreams with any of us in them?" the man suggested.

"I've had some." She nodded.

* * *

There was a loud explosion, the whole city vibrating violently. Aeris shivered at the thought of what it could have been. She hoped everyone was alright. Crowds of people came rushing from the small stores and businesses hurrying home. The young woman rushed about, trying to gather some information.

"Excuse me! Sir!" they all rushed past her, ignoring her calls. "Miss, Um, excuse me…Do you know what…happened?" she looked from side to side as she trotted across the street. She could smell the scent of something burning and in the distance she could see a orange glow, as if something was on fire.

'Did something blow up?' she held her hands against her chest, the woven basket slung around her arm.

"Oomf!" she fell hard on her behind onto the brick street. She huffed as she lifted herself from the ground and brushed herself off. She noticed a man with blonde hair walking around the corner. He had glowing blue eyes, something that was rare to see anymore. He had on a familiar uniform. The woman had the urge to talk to him, to see if he knew what was going on and to possibly learn more about him.

"Excuse me." The woman started. The man turned to her, when he saw her she thought he had a look of recognition in his eyes. It had quickly faded into a blank look. "What happened?"

"…Nothing…" He hesitated. "Hey, listen…"

She tilted her head at him and gave him her best smile. He rubbed the back of his head nervously. His eyes darted to the flowers in her basket.

"Don't see many flowers around here." He changed the subject.

"Oh, these? Do you like them? They're only a gil." The woman said cheerfully. She lifted one delicately from the basket to show him. She was ecstatic when the man stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out a golden coin.

"I'll take one, then." He gave her a boyish smile.

"Oh, thank you!" she hopped with excitement. "Here you are!" She gave him the best flower of the bunch.

"You better get out of here." The man looked over his shoulder at the rushing soldiers and civilians. The woman nodded quickly and headed down the street. She looked back once but the mysterious man was already out of sight.

She was curious as to why his eyes held that glow. They seemed awfully familiar to her. His mannerisms also sent chills down her spine. Her heart ached a little at the thought of a man she had once dated so many years ago.

* * *

"Sounds like when you and I first met." Cloud nodded his head in recognition.

"I thought we first met in the church?" Aeris leaned forward.

"That's when you joined me on our journey. Before that you and I had a small run in on the streets in the city. I bought a flower from you and we parted. That was pretty much it. Then I fell through the roof. You asked if I remembered you and I did. Then the Turks came in to take you to Hojo's lab. I helped you escape and the rest's history." The blonde explained, never tearing his eyes away from the view before the car.

"I see…" Aeris thought a moment. "So I really remembered something!" she grinned widely. "I'm so happy!" she squealed.

"How bout with me?" Tifa asked hopefully. "You remember anything with me?"

"Let's see…" the woman poked her chin.

* * *

Her and Cloud ran up the stairs of Don Corneo's mansion. The carpet was extravagantly decorated in gold and red. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling and the walls were decorated with wonderful pieces of art. Cloud lifted the heavy blue dress as he tried to climb the last step. The res sash around his waist threatened to be stepped on. He shoved his way past the door and into a dark chamber. Aeris gasped.

'Is this…a torture chamber!?' the woman bit her lip. She looked around the room. In the corner was a woman waiting impatiently. She had long dark hair and a very revealing blue dress with a deep neckline. Aeris wondered how that dress could support her at all.

"Tifa?" She whispered to the woman.

She lady turned her attention to Aeris. Her eyes gave her a questioning look. She did not recognize her at all. "…And you are?" She spoke up after a minute. Tifa eyeballed the other woman in the room. She looked a bit strange with her blonde pigtails and thick makeup.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Aeris." The Ancient held her hand out to the other woman. "Cloud's told me a lot about you." She gave a rather large grin.

"Hey! You're the one with Cloud in the park!" Tifa pointed.

"Right, with Cloud…" Aeris stared at Tifa's chocolate brown eyes, the young woman downcast them.

"Oh…" Tifa looked a bit sad. Aeris felt bad. She shouldn't be competing with this woman.

"Don't worry, we just met. It's nothing." Aeris waved her hands quickly.

"What do you mean, 'Don't worry'...about what?" Tifa gasped. Her cheeks turned a shade of pink. "No don't misunderstand." The woman laughed nervously. "Cloud and I grew up together, nothing more." She grinned awkwardly.

"Poor Cloud." Aeris shook her head, giggling. "Having to stand here and listen to us both call him nothing." She turned toward the third woman in the room. "Right, Cloud?"

"Cloud!?" Tifa jumped to the side, staring at the woman in the dark blue dress. She looked her up and down with interest and stopped on her face. She had brilliant blue eyes and her face was red with embarrassment. "CLOUD!? Why Are you dressed like that!? And what are you doing here!?" she jumped and grabbed the man's shoulders, shaking him. "Forget that! What happened to you after the fall!? Are you hurt!?" her eyes about popped out of her head.

"Hey, give me a chance to explain." He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I'm dressed like this…because there was no other way to get in here. I'm alright. Aeris helped me out."

"Oh, Aeris did…" Tifa sent a sideways glance to the woman in red. Her long curly hair was to die for and her eyes were such a beautiful jade. Tifa couldn't help but feel a little envious of the other woman.

"Tifa, explain." Cloud folded his arms. "What are you doing in a place like this?"

"Yeah, Ummm…" she looked back at Aeris again.

"I'll just plug my ears…" Aeris cleared her throat. She walked to the opposite side of the room and acted like she plugged her ears.

"I'm glad you're okay." Tifa sighed.

"Thanks, what happened." Cloud's gaze pierced through her.

"When we got back from the Number 5 reactor, there was this weird man." Tifa glanced behind her at Aeris. She lowered her voice. "So Barret caught him and squeezed some information out of him."

"That's when the Don's name popped up." Cloud added. She nodded quickly.

"Right, Don Corneo. Barret told me to leave the lech alone…." She hesitated. "But something's been bothering me."

"I see. So you wanted to get the story straight from Don Corneo's mouth." Cloud nodded as he spoke.

"So I made it here, but now I'm in a bind." There was a long pause. "Corneo is looking for a bride. Every day he gets three girls, chooses one of them, and then…well…" she fidgeted uncomfortably. "Anyway, I gotta be the girl…or I'm out for tonight."

Aeris turned around and approached the two. "Sorry, but I overheard. If you know the three girls, then there's no problem, right?"

"I guess so, but…" Tifa looked from Aeris to Cloud.

"We have two here, right?" Aeris pointed at herself and then at Tifa.

"No, Aeris!" Cloud slapped his forehead. "I can't have you get involved."

"Oh? So it's alright for Tifa to be in danger?" the woman in red placed her hands on her hips.

"No, I don't want Tifa in…" He sighed. Tifa approached the other woman.

"Is it alright?" she asked Aeris. The two turned and headed for the door.

"I grew up in the slums…I'm used to danger." Aeris informed. She faced Tifa. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes. Thank you Miss Aeris." Tifa nodded.

"Oh! Just call me Aeris!" the Cetra laughed.

A yelling voice sounded as they left the room and entered the lobby. The receptionist was angry they had wandered off.

"I probably don't need to ask but the other girl is…" Cloud asked quietly. "Me…right?"

"You're right." Tifa shrugged. "There was no need…" she and Aeris looked at each other.

"…to ask!" they giggled.

They ascended the stairs toward Don Corneo's room. Little did Aeris know she would be drug into a full out war with her new friends.

* * *

"Ahaha!" Tifa slapped the steering wheel. "You have no idea how happy that makes me that you remember that particular situation!"

"So I was right?" Aeris beamed.

"One hundred percent!" the woman cackled. "You even got every detail of Cloud's dress right!"

"…Yeah…So glad you remembered that." Cloud huffed.

"Well, what about me?" Zack nudged the woman. "Anything at all?"

"Hmm…." Aeris tore her gaze away. She shook her head solemnly. "Not much more than what I learned last night."

"Ah, that's okay. You'll remember in no time." Zack gave her a reassuring smile.

"Almost there." Tifa interrupted. "I can see the dock."

Tifa was taking Zack and Aeris to the ferry boat. She and Cloud would drop them off there. Zack and Aeris will ride the boat to the coast near Gongaga. There Zack and Aeris will make the short journey by foot to Zack's home.

"Oh man! I can't wait! Mom's gonna be so surprised!" Zack hopped in his seat.

"Is…she nice?" Aeris stammered.

"The best lady in the whole world! She's gonna love you! I warn you though; she's going to be constantly feeding you." Zack sighed. "Makes lots of cookies and huge meals! You're never gonna wanna leave, it's all the best food!"

"Oh!?" Aeris giggled. "I hope I don't get fat."

"I wouldn't worry about it. You can eat anything and not gain an ounce." The man waved at her dismissively. "But if anyone could do it…it'd be mom."

The car drove up the small ramp toward the dock. The ship was massive; something Aeris had only remembered seeing on TV. She was awed by the majesty of the transport.

"Here we are." Tifa stretched as she got out of the car.

"Thanks for the ride, Tifa. I appreciate it." Zack gave her a small hug.

"Sure thing! Wouldn't want you two walking in the snow! That'd be awful!" the woman laughed.

"I'll miss you." Aeris whispered as she gave the other woman and man a hug.

"Come visit us soon." Tifa said.

"We'll be opening the bar. Maybe we can get everyone together for a round of drinks." Cloud leaned against the car. He glanced toward the large structure in the distance. It was Fort Condor. A lot had happened there as well. The battle against Shinra was a close win. Many people had lost their lives. Cloud took a deep breath. He was glad those days were over. There was too much pain and suffering.

"Sounds like a plan!" Zack patted the man on the back. "We'll be seeing ya'!" he grabbed Aeris suitcase and made his way toward the ship. It was going to be a long ride but at least he and Aeris would have some time together to talk about things. Maybe he could help her remember something from their past.

The sound of the foghorn was a noisy welcome, but Aeris was excited to ride on the ship. The ocean was a deep grey, covered by a thin, transparent fog. Tiny droplets of sleet made the scene a bit dreary but she thought it was still beautiful none the less.

* * *

"Good morning, Kadaj." Shelke muttered. "Did you sleep well?" she asked politely.

"Hm." He shrugged. "Don't sleep much anymore. You?"

"Not really." She shook her head. "I've always had a bit of an insomnia problem."

The man plopped in the chair next to her. He looked over her shoulder to see what she was reading.

"What's that?" he asked nosily.

"Some documents about the procedure done to me by Hojo." She said without looking at him. She turned a page with a delicate hand. "I'm trying to find a way to get out of this body."

"Out of your body?" Kadaj asked. "Why would you want that?"

"Look at me, Kadaj." Shelke turned in her chair. "I'm twenty-two."

"…" the man lowered his head. "Hojo was a bad man, wasn't he?"

"Horrible." She mumbled and turned back to her book. "I don't necessarily want to change bodies, but I would like to find a way to age. Hojo had the bad habit of making his victims ageless. Vincent, for example, he's a lot older than he looks."

"Will I age?" Kadaj asked.

"Who knows?" Shelke sighed. "If anything I would at least like to appear to be in my twenties. Then I wouldn't be treated like a child."

"I wonder how old I'm supposed to be." Kadaj leaned back in his chair, his arms behind his head. He stared at the stained ceiling.

"Jenova…" a voice sounded from the corner of the room.

"Huh?" Kadaj turned his attention.

"Clones." Shelke stood from her chair. "I wonder how they got in here." They shivered and wobbled. Their faces were hidden underneath the hoods of their cloaks. They looked frail and weak, like starved children.

"What are you doing in here?" Kadaj questioned.

"Cells…Zack…." One clone muttered. He ran into the book shelf repeatedly in front of him.

"Was I…that stupid?" Kadaj wrinkled his nose.

"Zack?" Shelke poked the clone on the shoulder.

"Reunion! Zack's reunion!" it hobbled.

"Zack's reunion?" Shelke looked at the silver haired man next to her.

"Zack? The one with mother?" Kadaj asked. "Why would he have a reunion?"

"Sounds like something we need to look at." Shelke watched as another clone entered the room and tossed books from the shelf. "They sure are troublesome."

"What does he have to do with this?" Kadaj asked one of the clones.

"Br, brother." It reached out.

"Eh, don't call me that." Kadaj lowered his head. He thought of his other brothers; they were dead, not alive like him. Why did he come back? Why was he here and not the others? Maybe they were and he just hadn't found them yet.

"We should survey them closely. Come, let's go upstairs. I think there are some boxes in one of the rooms with the surveillance cameras. We can set them up and watch them." Shelke jogged out of the lab. Kadaj followed after her.

"Zack's reunion…" One clone cried out.

"Need…Jenova's cells…." Another clawed at one book. A shelf slid open, revealing a small room.

"Reserve…reserve." They hopped into the room cheerfully. They went to the back and slammed their hands against a small padlocked metal box. The lock melted into silver liquid as their fire spells ignited. The two clones smiled at each other and lifted the lid. The box held many tiny tubes of green ooze. Their spidery fingers twisted around the glass containers. One by one the last test tubes of Jenova's blood were plucked from their case and placed into the clones' cloaks.

"Leave…Loz…" one Clone tugged on the other's arm.

"Go…Yazoo." The other laughed stupidly.

* * *

"Whew, time changes always screw me up." Zack yawned loudly. "Good thing you slept in…took a nap in the car…and slept on the boat." The make teased the other woman.

"Sorry." She blushed. "I've been sleeping too much lately and it keeps me sleepy." She stared at the tall grass around her.

The two had just left the ship off the coast a few miles from Gongaga a little over half an hour ago. Aeris felt like the journey would never end, but much to her surprise she was in pretty good shape. She decided it must've been from her previous journey with her friends.

"Man, it's a lot warmer here than it was in Edge." The woman tugged on her sweater. The hot sun was still overhead sending its heat down onto the planet.

"It's always pretty warm here, especially this time of year. We rarely get cool enough weather for snow. If it does get cold, we mostly just get ice and blasting winds." The man sighed. "Not the best weather here but it's my home. I love it more than any other place I've lived."

"It's a small town, right?" the woman stared at her feet. The grass was a bright green and came up to about her knees. A gentle breeze blew through, rustling the blades. They moved like small waves in the sea. She liked it out here. It was peaceful and quiet.

"Real small." The man nodded. "But it's nice. You can do pretty much anything at any time of night or day without the fear of being mugged." He chuckled.

"Sounds lovely." She smiled.

"That's the one thing I miss most, privacy. Though it may not seem like you have a lot of privacy in a small town, you have the opportunity to be by yourself more than you would in the city. And not everything's polluted. You can just walk out to the edge of town and lie in the grass all day and never worry about a thing." He took long strides, staring at the poofy white clouds in the sky. He chewed on a long straw-like blade.

"Can we have a picnic?" the woman asked cheerfully.

"We can have a picnic everyday if you like." He looked down at her. The blade bounced between his teeth.

"Really!?" the woman radiated.

"Would I ever lie to you?" He snorted at the end of this statement. She gave him an accusing look. "How 'bout, I promise?"

"Deal." She nodded.

The two came out into a clearing. The green grass died out and the ground became a hard rocky surface covered in a layer of dirt. Zack raised a brow at the sight. He didn't remember the vegetation being dead in this area. It would take some large animals to clean this place out. He glanced ahead. About a quarter mile away was the beginning of the forest surrounding Gongaga.

'What could've done this?' he squint his eyes, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. A low guttural sound came from the line of trees.

"Oh…my…" Aeris gasped.

There was a loud snapping sound as a group of trees were plowed over. Three large Behemoths came rushing out into the clearing, all mooing and grunting as they stampeded toward the two. Aeris jumped behind the man. He felt her small hands grip his arm. Zack's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword strapped to his back.

"Shit!" He cursed.

Behemoths were unusual for this area. Judging by amount of vegetation that was missing, they hadn't been here very long. Behemoths could eat about three hundred to four hundred pounds of food a day just for an average sized monster. These beasts are also Omnivores. All three of them were larger than usual, all seemed to be male. These things would consider three hundred pounds a snack.

"Aeris! Get to a safe place!" the man put a hand between him and her, pushing her a little so he didn't cut her when he drew out his sword. The Behemoths came closer and closer, each horn bigger than his body.

Zack shoved the woman to the other side of a boulder just as the behemoth's head came lurching forward at the two.

"Zack!!" the woman screeched. She curled into a ball, covering her head. She was sure he was hit, but then she heard the man grunt and the sound of metal scraping against something hard was heard. She popped her head around the corner and watched.

Zack leapt into the air, sword crashing down against one Behemoth's head. It stuck inside the monster's horns, splintering it. He struggled to free his sword as another beast charged forward. The black haired man let go of his weapon and ducked down. The charging beast's head crashed into the others. The first's horn shattered and Zack's sword flew into the air. There was a loud howl of pain from the 

Behemoth now missing one of his horns. Dark liquid trickled from the wound over the monster's face giving him a taste of his own blood. The ex-SOLDIER tugged on the second monster's horn, which was knocked off balance after the collision. He hoisted himself up onto its back and jumped from its head to the others. He ran along the triangular spines down the bleeding monster's back and soared into the air, grabbing his sword. He flew downward preparing to slice at the beast's neck.

"Watch out!" Aeris screamed.

The third monster darted in, its tail flipping. Zack didn't have enough time to cover. He was punched by the enormous scaly tail and sent sprawling across the dirt. The monsters danced around each other trying to get at the man. Zack struggled to his feet, wiping at the blood on his lip.

'Damn, these guys are rough…' He picked up his sword and ran forward.

He leapt over the first attack of a flinging tail. The snaking appendage glided toward where Aeris was. She was trapped between two boulders. She ducked, the tail cracking the rocky surface. She hopped forward to get out of the way just as another Behemoth's tail scraped against the dirt at her feet. She watched in horror at the sight before her. There was no way they were going to survive.

'Please…I don't want to die.' Her mind prayed.

She watched the man swing his sword, batting another tail out of his line of sight. He ran sideways along one of the beast's torsos and spiraled at the one in the back who now only had one horn. The blade sliced at light speed. As Zack landed in the dirt, sliding and twisting to prepare his next strike the monster fell dead to the ground, its head severed. Aeris covered her mouth at the gore. She made her way to another set of boulders opposite of the battle. The other two monsters growled in response to Zack's actions. They may have been cheers of joy, more food for them when this was over.

"Who's next?" Zack mocked the beasts as he lunged forward. The two lined up, as if team working, one behind the other. The first ducked low, its horns ready to impale and the second rose to its feet.

'This doesn't look good…' Zack frowned.

He gave a juke, spinning around the front animal just as it drove it's blades of bone toward him. He brought his sword down upon the beasts neck, put it wasn't enough to kill it as its tail collided with his back. Zack found himself pinned to the side of the monster and its tail. He groaned at its strength.

'How'd they get so strong?' He gritted his teeth.

Twisting its head to face the man, the beast seemed to smile. Its evil eyes were a glowing green, a color that sent chills down his spine. These beasts normally had yellow eyes didn't they? A loud roar sounded from overhead. Zack had forgotten about the second monster on its hind legs. The beast fell downward its feet stomping into the other monster below. It was trying all it could to get Zack for himself for a meal, even if it meant killing the other beast. Zack shoved away, ducking and rolling from the monster. He watched as the beast continued to crush the other, kicking and stomping it further into the ground. The beaten monster screeched in pain and writhed beneath it. It tried to free itself but couldn't muster the strength after the blood loss from Zack's blade. The man got to his feet, he had to strike now. The 

attacking Behemoth pulled its head downward, impaling the second beast with its horn. It was killed instantly, it's spinal cord severed. It was very unnatural for a Behemoth to kill another of its own kind. Zack gaped at the sight. The last one standing pulled its horn from the others body. Dark blood dripped and pooled onto the ground below. It gave a guttural growl. Its lust for blood now heightened.

"Come and get me you sick bastard." Zack growled back. He waved his sword, the blood on the blade splattering onto the ground.

'Oh Zack, be careful…' Aeris held her hands over her ears. She swayed back and forth, frightened more than she ever had been in her entire life. She stopped when she felt the vibrations.

'Oh no!' Zack's eyes widened. Instead of coming after him, the beast turned away and ran toward the rocks where Aeris was hiding. "Stay away from her!" he shouted.

The beast continued further, its horns lowered on the ground, scraping into the hard surface. He bulldozed toward where the woman's hiding spot was.

'Run! Run, run run!' Aeris got to her feet and sprinted as fast as she could. She could smell the creature's rotten breath as it neared. She could feel the hot air as it huffed and scooped the boulders into its horns. She felt something hard crash into her back and was sent flying a few yards from where she was just running. She felt her hands scrape against the dirt, her shoulder popping when it hit the ground.

"Aeris! Aer-…" Zack stumbled to a stop. The monster turned around, boulders in its horns. It wasn't after Aeris, it was after the large rocks.

It gave a low moan as it heaved the massive stones into the air. Its horns tore through the items, making them smaller in size but multiply in number. One by one the rocks flew higher and higher into the air and toward Zack.

"Oh…shit…" he watched as the meteor shower came tumbling toward him.

'SLAM!'

'CRASH!'

'BAM!'

'THUD!'

Each thundering sound signaled Zack barely escaping his death. He darted from side to side, ducked, jumped, slid, rolled, flipped and belly flopped as best he could to survive the attack. The monster growled at the sight before him. Zack was getting closer and closer. The man couldn't help but smile at the satisfaction it gave him to know the Behemoth was frustrated with him. Zack was an ant interfering with the monster's lunch. The Behemoth ran forward. The last boulder fell from the sky. Zack grunted, pushing his legs to move faster and faster. He had to get past this last one. If he didn't it would mean his death. He ran and ran and ran his breath nonexistent. He felt his muscles ripple and pull. His arms 

pumped faster and faster. His legs were barely touching ground. He was almost there. His sword was drawn. The blade was swinging. He was lunging forward and...

"#!" the man cursed.

He tripped. One measly rock, a pebble, a grain of salt had caused him to tumble and fall. Zack, SOLDIER, first-class, tripped over a minute, isolated, projecting mass of mineral material. He felt like he could just die. No matter, he would be in the next nanosecond. He did what he always learned when he was a child. Stop, drop, and roll. He covered his head, took the fetal position and rolled.

'BOOM!' vibrations all around. Zack felt as if his head exploded. Thought it had, actually, until he opened his eyes. All he could see was brown…dark, grainy brown. The rocks rounded surface was millimeters from crushing his head. Why had it stopped? Before he could think that, he rolled again and got to his feet. He wobbled a moment staring in disbelief. There was a long silence.

"AHAHAHA!!" Zack pointed and laughed. "Look at what you did!"

Underneath the monstrous boulder was the Behemoth's face. It was so set on getting Zack for its dinner; it didn't take into consideration the last falling boulder. The monster would have survived if it weren't for those troublesome horns on its head. The force of the boulder sent the pointed bones backward into the monster's skull.

"Zack!" Aeris cried out. He felt small arms wrap around his chest. "I was so scared! I thought you were dead!" she sniffled.

"No sweat." The man breathed a nervous laugh. "It was nothing…" he stared at the monster beneath the rock. If it weren't for that animal, he would've been squashed. But then again, if it weren't for that animal he and Aeris wouldn't have been stuck in this mess to begin with.

"You can't die…I wouldn't be able to live…with myself." She hid her face in his shirt.

"I'm not gonna die." He held onto her. "Why would you say something like that?"

"If I hadn't been so helpless I could have helped you." She mumbled.

"Jeez, Aeris. Even if you could have helped, I wouldn't have let you. I'd be too worried about you." He pulled her away. "You alright? You took a nasty fall back there."

"I'm fine!" she nodded quickly. "Nothing a little cure spell couldn't cure."

"Good." Zack sighed. He glanced at the forest up ahead. "Now, what do you say we go to my place?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Aeris giggled. "…I thought you said this was a peaceful place."

* * *

Emerald eyes glared at the couple striding through the forest. A dark, gloved hand clenched around a nearby branch, cracking it into pieces.

'_**I thought you said you would kill them!'**_

'It's not my fault your powers aren't what they used to be, mother…'

"I'll get them…don't worry…" the dark shadow dropped to the forest floor. "I'll start with her…"

* * *

Well that's the end of this chapter! Sorry again for the delay! I hope you all enjoyed this one, plenty more to come! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubisno matter he wock...al. -class, tripped over a rock#!" screamed. The blade was swinging. He was lunging forward and... legs to move faster and faster. He had to get past this l


	22. Chapter 22

Hello again! Schools almost over for the semester. Only a few more weeks and then I can have some free time to work on this story more and get the chapters uploaded on schedule. Thanks to all the readers and reviewers. Im glad you are enjoying the story so far. Any suggestions or thoughts are much appreciated! –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 22**

There was a soft knock at the front door of the small cottage. A woman gasped at the intruding sound, caught up in her daily chores.

"Wonder who that is…" she mumbled to herself as she carelessly flung her towel into the sink. The elderly woman wiped her hands off on her apron as she waddled hurriedly to the door.

Light poured into the small front living room as the wooden door creaked to an open. The woman squint her eyes trying to get a look at her new guest. A young, slender woman stood on her front step. Her eyes a glittering green, they held a life in them that the elderly woman hadn't seen in years. The young woman's long curls of hair, half of which were tied back by a pink ribbon, blew gently in the breeze. The light around her gave her a gentle aura.

"Mrs. Fair?" she spoke.

"Yes?" Mrs. Fair gave a small smile. She watched the young woman fidget uncomfortably. What was she so nervous about?

"Hi. My name is Aeris." The girl held her small hand to the woman.

"Aeris." Mrs. Fair nodded. She eyeballed the woman suspiciously as if remembering something. "What can I do for you, miss?"

"Um, well, I…uh." She twirled a curl framing her face. Her green eyes darted off to the side a moment. "I have something I need to talk to you about."

"Talk to me about?" the woman questioned. She watched Aeris cautiously. "Have we met before? You look a bit familiar."

"Um…" she looked too the side once again and nodded quickly. "Yes. In fact we have, quite a few years ago. Me and a couple friends visited way back right before the meteor incident." She twiddled her fingers. "Do you remember someone by the name of Cloud?"

"Cloud?" the woman glanced at the ceiling, thinking. A frown crossed her face. "Blonde kid with glowing blue eyes?"

"Y, yeah…that's correct." Aeris nodded slowly. "We were passing through the village and I think we stopped by here."

"Yes, I remember. You were one of the young ladies with that fellow." The woman stated a bit sourly. "But you weren't here the second time…they..came."

"…" Aeris fidgeted again. The woman didn't seem very happy.

"What did you say your name was again?" She questioned.

"Aeris." The young woman tried to place a smile on her face.

"Aeris…" the woman shook her head, scoffing. "But, they said…are you the only Aeris they know?"

"…Yes." Aeris glanced to the side.

"They mentioned a woman named Aeris, but she's supposed to be dead." Mrs. Fair shook her head angrily. She was beginning to wonder if this was some kind of sick joke.

"Ah, well, funny you should say that." Aeris laughed nervously. "You see…um…how do I explain this…?" she was muttering and mumbling incoherently.

"Did you know my son?" the woman asked sadly. "I imagine since you were friends with Cloud and that your name is Aeris…then you would have had to know my son."

"Actually that's why I'm here." Aeris cleared her throat. "I have something…to show you."

"Show me? What is this all about?" the woman huffed.

"Is…" Aeris looked about the living room. "Mr. Fair, here?"

"He's in the shed." The woman turned away. "I suppose I should get him."

The woman waddled to the back porch area and hollered something. Aeris flinched at the sound. A soft muffled laugh sounded from beside her.

"I can't believe you're making me do this." Aeris rolled her eyes. "She was giving me the death look."

The young woman folded her arms. She was scared to death of this woman. She obviously never recovered since Cloud and Tifa came to tell her that her only son was killed. Aeris continued to mumble out the corner of her mouth, looking off to the side every once and a while. Mrs. Fair seemed to notice this as she walked along side her husband back into the living room.

"This is Aeris." Mrs. Fair announced.

"Aeris." The older man smiled. He tipped his old hat in her direction. "Afternoon, miss."

"She says she has something to show us." Mrs. Fair spouted out. "Hon, is there someone else with you?"

"Um!" Aeris stood up straight. "You know, I'm just going to get straight to the point here, since you both are obviously busy…"

"Why don't you come in!" the man grabbed the girl's hand and led her toward the couch. He certainly was friendly. He smiled at her; he had warm, kind blue eyes. "Make yourself at home. We never have visitors." Mrs. Fair watched her husband disapprovingly.

"O, ok." Aeris looked back at the doorway. Mrs. Fair was ready to shut the door. "Um, actually! Don't shut that door…it is such a nice day out… and you were right Mrs. Fair! I did bring someone else with me!" Aeris rushed to the lady and led her to the couch. "Why don't you take a seat here next to Mr. Fair? I think that would be best…"

"Ok." Mrs. Fair sat next to the man. Mr. Smiled curiously at the slender woman frantically rushing back toward the door.

"Alright." Aeris smoothed the wrinkles in her dress. "Are you ready? This may be…a _little_ shocking."

"Come on, dear. What could you possibly have to show us?" Mrs. Fair beamed with excitement.

'Oh boy, how her mood can change…' Aeris let out a breath of air.

"Introducing!" Aeris held her hands up toward the doorway. She gave a nervous smile. "Zack Fair!"

Immediate frowns on both parents. Mrs. Fair looked like she was about to shoot laser out her eyes. Mr. Fair was about to get to his feet but paused when a silhouette in the door formed from around the corner. The couple squint their eyes, trying to get a better look at the young man who was now on their stoop. The dark figure took a step into the living room.

"Oh…holy…" Mrs. Fair held a hand to her chest. Bright blue eyes stared at the woman. A large smile crossed the young man's face.

"Hi mom, dad." He rubbed the back of his head.

"Ghost…" Mr. Fair pointed a finger. He glanced at his wife who was now on her feet running toward the second guest.

"Oh!" Mrs. Fair ran her hands over the young man's face. She admired his spiky dark hair, the small scar on his jaw. She lifted his arms, looking him over. She gasped continuously as she touched the man. "Not a ghost!" she sobbed.

"No!?" the man ran to where the boy was.

"Zack! ZAAACK!" the woman wrung her arms around the boy's neck. She squeezed him harder than she ever had anyone else. She looked at his eyes again.

He smiled at her. "Hi, mom." He said barely audibly.

"My baby!" She kissed his cheek and hugged him again. Her hand petted the hair on his head. "They said you were dead!"

"Not quite." The boy laughed.

"My son's alive!" Mr. Fair made room and hugged around both his wife and the boy. "Then that means…" he pulled away. He glanced at Aeris.

"Aeris was the young woman who was to marry Zack." Mrs. Fair blurted.

"You're alive as well!" the older man tugged on Aeris' arm and pulled her into a hug.

"Ahhh…" Zack raised a finger, mentally slapping himself over and over again.

"Married?" Aeris laughed nervously.

"Mom, Dad!" Zack leaned down toward the young woman. "Play along." He muttered through his teeth. "This is Aeris! She and I have known each other for a while."

"Nice to meet you, Aeris." Mrs. Fair shook the girl's hand quickly. "You have no idea how much it pleases me to see you! Sorry for my harshness, earlier….You see, I thought that since you two were supposed to be dead that you were trying to play some trick on me." Zack's mother blushed.

"I understand." Aeris nodded.

"Just one question." Mr. Fair sat back on the couch. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. Mrs. Fair joined his side.

"Yeah." Zack and Aeris sat on the small loveseat across from the parents.

"How the hell can someone mistake you for being dead?" the father asked.

"Ah, yeah…that." Zack cleared his throat.

"Didn't think about how you were going to explain this one." Aeris muttered.

"How much of the truth would you like to hear?" Zack laughed nervously.

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Fair asked.

"It's a long story." Zack shrugged. "How bout we talk about it over dinner?" the boy bit his lip, giving the most innocent look Aeris had ever seen on a grown man's face. He batted his eyelashes at his mother.

"Zackary." The mother tried to look away. "Tell us now."

"Aw, ma!" Zack got on his knees. His arms wrapped around his mom's waist, his head on her bosom. "I'm hungry."

"Let the boy eat, ma." Mr. Fair chose sides. He patted his own gut. "I'm hungry too. Besides, look at them two. They look like they haven't eaten in years."

"Please?" Zack whined. Aeris watched the scene, amazed.

"Don't give me that look." Mrs. Fair shook her head.

"Mommy?" Zack hugged her tighter.

"Aw my boy!" She kissed his forehead. "How can I deny you anything after all this?"

"Whoo!" Zack and his father clapped their hands together.

"Ma's cooking is the best." Zack beamed as he sat back next to Aeris.

"That look of yours is evil." The woman muttered as she stood from the couch and headed to the kitchen. "Get it from yer father."

"So Aeris, where are you from?" Mr. Fair asked with a large grin on his face.

"Midgar." Aeris stood straight.

"You can relax, honey." The man winked. Aeris felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. No doubt, Zack had received his father's charms as well.

"She lived under the plate." Zack helped out.

"In the slums!?" Mrs. Fair hollered from the kitchen. Zack smirked. Mom still had ears like a bat.

"Yeah." Aeris nodded. "I live…or lived there with my adoptive mother."

"You were adopted?" Mr. Fair asked. "What a lucky find! I bet you were such a cute little girl."

"She was." Zack leaned back on the couch, completely at home.

"What?" Aeris asked, embarrassed.

"Should see her childhood pictures." Zack smiled. "I bet she was a fussy little thing."

"I wasn't fussy!" Aeris slapped the man on the arm. Mr. Fair watched the two interact, he seemed very please with Zack's 'future wife'.

"How'd you two meet?" Mr. Fair brought up the tough question.

"Funny story, actually." Zack scratched his head.

"He fell through the roof of my church." Aeris stated simply. The sound of something being dropped in the kitchen alerted the group to the mother in the other room.

"I think you got it backwards." Mr. Fair looked at Aeris. "The angels' supposed to fall to you, Zack."

"Exactly what I was thinking when I first saw her." Zack grinned. He watched the return of red on Aeris' face.

"Were you alright!?" mother's voice entered the conversation.

"I was fine, ma." Zack sighed. "A little fall like that wouldn't hurt me."

"He was out for a while…" Aeris added.

"Hey!" Zack folded his arms.

"Then he promised to make it up to me." Aeris talked to Zack's father. "He told me he'd take me on a date."

"Thatta boy." Mr. Fair nodded approvingly.

"And well, then we just hung out here and there, ya know how that goes." Zack shrugged.

"Did you take her somewhere nice?" Mrs. Fair asked.

"Um…" Zack rubbed his head.

"It was lovely." Aeris nodded.

"…" Zack watched her. Was she just saying that to cover up or did she really remember?

"He…" She looked at the bracelets on her wrists. She thought a moment. "Gosh it was so long ago."

"Wasn't much of a date, actually." Zack frowned. "Damn phone had to interrupt."

"That's right!" Aeris gasped. "I was a bit disappointed…Wished we could have stayed there longer in the park."

"That's…right." Zack nodded slowly. "We were at that park in Sector 6."

"But before that we went on a walk." Aeris smiled.

"Wasn't it dangerous in the slums?" Mrs. Fair asked. The sound of the oven door opening sounded after her voice.

"I had Zack there to protect me." Aeris stifled a laugh.

"Yeah." Zack rubbed the back of his head. "Wasn't much…"

"Then he took me to the shop." She bit her lower lip, remembering the short amount of time they spent together, she enjoyed it nevertheless. "You didn't buy these for me then." Her fingers trailed over the dented bracelets.

"No…I didn't." Zack stared at her. His fingers trailed to the pink ribbon in her hair. "Another thing you seem to wear all the time."

Aeris felt her face get hot. Was she really that infatuated with the man? "Yup. As a memento." She was glad Tifa had returned the pink ribbon to her before they left Edge. She didn't know why before, but it gave her a sense of security.

"That's right." He nodded.

"You tried to embarrass me." Aeris covered her cheeks.

"I did? When?" he folded his arms.

"In the park." She shoved him gently.

"Oh you mean when you said I had pretty eyes?" he chuckled.

Mr. Fair watched the two interact with each other. He thought Aeris was the cutest thing. It reminded him of the days he first met his wife.

"Your father's eyes were the first thing I noticed." Mrs. Fair walked out into the living room. She made her place on the couch next to the older man. "Boy liked to make me blush so every chance he got he tried to look my eyes into his. Knew my weakness." The woman grinned, nudging her husband on the shoulder. "Boy's a spitting image of his father. Watch it when he gets older though, all that food will catch up to him."

"This, woman, is your fault." Mr. Fair patted his round belly. "Cook too good."

"My Zack can eat…Even when he was a baby. Chubby little thing then." Mrs. Fair laughed.

"Chubby?" Aeris poked Zack's stomach.

"Ma!" Zack covered his face.

"You want to see, dear?" Mrs. Fair stood from the couch. "She made her way to a tiny china cabinet behind the sofa. She pulled a thick album from the drawer.

"No, ma!" Zack raised from his seat.

"Oh you just sit your tiny caboose down there next to your father." She shoved the young man onto the couch. "Let me have my fun." She squeezed in next to Aeris.

"I've never seen any pictures of Zack when he was a child." Aeris giggled. Zack shot her a glare from the sofa.

"These are from when he was only a few weeks old." Mother opened the book and pointed at the small pictures.

They showed a fussing baby with blue-grey eyes. As she continued through the pages, telling her stories, Zack grew older and older. His hair was dark and messy. There were many pictures of him running around in nothing but his diaper or underwear. Some we adorned a blue cape and a large stick, no doubt his 'sword'. He wore overalls and I small straw hat. He had toothless grins, scrapes and bruises. In middle school he was a tall bean-pole, no muscle at all. Aeris giggled at his awkwardness.

"Ok…I think she's seen enough." Zack groaned.

"I think you're cute." Aeris grinned.

"Oh he was such a cutie! Always tellin' us stories! Boy would never shut up!" the mother laughed.

"I always thought he was going to grow up to be a writer." Father added.

"I suck at writing." Zack muttered.

"Math too." Mother added.

"Mom!" Zack finally earned his blush.

"Look at those pink cheeks!" Aeris pointed.

"Oh, he's a blusher." Mother added. "Ticklish too."

"Ticklish!?" a mischievous grin crossed Aeris face, showing every tooth.

"Get's that one from his mother." Mr. Fair laughed.

"I'll have to try that one out later." Aeris eyeballed the pouting boy on the couch.

"Also gets his mood swings from his mother." Dad added.

"I'm not moody!" Zack scoffed.

"He's emotional." Mom suggested.

"Can I leave?" Zack mumbled.

"You just got here!" Dad wrapped an arm around his boy. "I suppose you two are staying a while too?"

"Um, I think-…" Zack began.

"We'd love to!" Aeris beamed. Zack's attention turned to her.

"We will?" he asked.

"Certainly! I mean, you haven't seen your parents in years! There's lots to talk about, many stories to tell… and hear. Besides, I'd like to enjoy the sights here, relax, and get to know the family."

"I like how she thinks!" Mrs. Fair entered the kitchen once again.

"As far as I'm concerned, she can stay forever!" Zack's father stated as he helped mother in the kitchen.

"Forever?" Zack stuttered.

"Forever…" Aeris smiled at Zack.

"Ah! Ha…ha…" the man groaned a moment later. "They live to embarrass me. I just got back and they already are pickin' on me."

"Get washed up, dinner will be ready in a few." Mom hollered.

"Yeah…" Zack turned and headed down the back hallway to where his room was.

Aeris followed him close behind, thinking to herself. 'Married? What gave them that idea?' She eyeballed the door across from the bathroom. The door had a couple of posters and a warning sign. Aeris figured that was Zack's room. The light to the bathroom turned on Aeris looked in front of her. She could see Zack's side. His shirt moved as he washed his hands, making his side look all the more tempting to touch.

'Poke.' Aeris finger jabbed him.

"AH!" Zack shoved his arms down. "What do you think you're doing!?" his blue eyes darted down in front of hers. He twisted as he did so, moving his torso away from her.

"Just testing." Aeris giggled.

"No ticklin'." He pointed a finger at her. "You'll feel the worst end of it." The man walked around her, out into the hall away from the woman.

"Is that a challenge?" Aeris asked as she scrubbed her own hands. She saw that the man was opening the door to his room.

"Yes." He said quickly. He pulled the door closed when she came beside him.

"What's in there?" she asked.

"My room." He said simply, not latching the door. "Something I wanted to get."

"Then get it." Aeris said.

"I'll get it later." He said.

"Why not now? We have time?" She pried. She held her hands behind her back.

"It's my room…" Zack answered.

"So? You've been in my room." Aeris countered. "No girls allowed? Is it a mess? What if I wanted to see your room?"

"Not gonna happen?" he shook his head.

"Why not?" She pouted.

"Cause I said so." He latched the door and turned around.

"Not much of a reason." Aeris mumbled. She opened the door to his room.

"Ah!" Zack ran to her.

"Looks like a normal room to me." Aeris stuck her head through the crack.

"It's private!" Zack fumbled for the door handle. He pulled her out of the way. Aeris watched as both arms lunged forward to grab the door and pull it shut.

'He's vulnerable…' Her thoughts erupted.

"Gotcha!" Aeris' hands went to either side of the man. Nails dug into his sides quickly. Zack screamed in response, turning around quickly. He tugged on her hands and lifted them. Aeris stumbled forward, running into the man. The impact caused Zack to fall back, shoving the door open. The two fell onto the floor, Aeris on top of the man. Zack let go of her to make sure she didn't hurt herself. Aeris took the advantage and resumed her attack.

"NO!" Zack squealed. Aeris giggled, tickling along his sides and ribcage. The man squirmed beneath her grabbing at her wandering hands. He raised them in the air, Aeris loosing balance and falling forward. He held onto her hands still, not allowing her to attack again. Her face was next to his, snickering. "You're evil…you know that?"

He looked to the side, his fingers entwined in hers. She turned her head. They were an inch away. Zack's eyes were soft. She was mesmerized once again, as if it was the first time she had ever seen them. They stared a moment. Zack's lips parted. Aeris gasped and raised herself. Her hands were still stuck in his, he refused to let go.

"Zack?" Aeris whispered, looking down at her hands. She still lat on top of him, her face above his. She swung her head around, meeting his gaze again. A few brown curls swung over her shoulder.

He watched her, one hand releasing her. That hand trailed up her arm. Aeris felt her face turn a hundred shades of red. Zack's hand rested on the side of her face. He raised his head from the floor and pressed his lips against hers. The woman was rigid. He released her second hand, letting it trail down her side. Aeris felt herself relax, dragging her hand through his hair. The two continued as Zack placed his hands 

around her waist and rolled her onto her back on the floor. She breathed in, letting her hands explore the sides of his body softly. His fingers trailed along her collarbone and neck, giving her chills. Their lips parted and returned in a cycle.

"Zack!" mother's voice called out.

Zack's eyes popped open. 'Shit!' the man pulled away quickly. He lifted himself to his feet, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't look back at Aeris. She stumbled to her feet, smoothing the wrinkles out in her clothing. Her face was red.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have done that." Zack cleared his throat.

"Why?" She looked very disappointed.

"Cause…" Zack shook his head. He looked over his shoulder. He shouldn't have said 'he shouldn't have done that'. Now dinner would be awkward.

"…I didn't complain." Aeris leaned forward.

"No…you didn't." Zack smiled sheepishly.

"Dinner!" mother called out again.

"So, does that mean you liked it?" the man gave a cocky grin.

"Well…I wouldn't say that." Aeris teased as she headed for the hall. "Come on, ma's waiting for us."

"Wha-?" the man drawled. He followed closely behind her.

* * *

"How did they get in and out of here so fast without us noticing?" Shelke dropped the extension cord in her hand. "We were only gone a few minutes."

"Seems they were after something." Kadaj looked down the opening behind one of the bookshelves.

"I wonder what it was they took?" Shelke glanced at the metal safe. "Seems as if there were tubes of some sort in here. Viles…"

"Why would it be hidden?" Kadaj scanned the safe. His fingers dropped into one of the holes. A sense of pain invaded his mind. He dropped to the floor.

"Kadaj!" Shelke kneeled down. "What happened?"

"M, mother…" Kadaj held onto his head.

"Jenova?" Shelke asked. "There must've been tubs of Jenova's blood kept in here. A last effort save to keep Jenova on this planet." The young girl stood. "Kadaj…we need to find those clones."

"I can't sense them." He shook his head sadly.

"You have to try, Kadaj."

"I can't. I don't want to remember. I don't want to be taken by Jenova." The silver haired man sat leaning against the wall. "My mother is…Aeris…not Jenova."

"We'll have to do it the hard way then." Shelke sighed. "Come on, let's get some research done. Maybe we can pull up something that has to do with those left over viles."

She helped the man to his feet and together they searched through the files, books, and computers in Hojo's forgotten lab.

* * *

"Can you go out to the shed and fetch me my glasses. Left 'em out there this afternoon." Zack's father asked the boy.

"Sure." Zack stood from the couch and stretched, letting out a loud groan.

"Oh bring Aeris out there too. There's a surprise out there for you." Zack's mother came into the living room in her nightgown. It seemed as though it was time for bed. "I'm sure Aeris will like it as well."

"Surprise?" Zack raised a brow. 'What the hell can it be?'

Zack and Aeris opened the back door to the house. The night sky was clear revealing a sprinkle of stars and a very large moon. The trees swayed gently in the breeze. Zack led Aeris to the shed in the back. He opened the old wooden door, it creaked in protest. Zack reached on the ledge of a worktable next to the door and grabbed his father's glasses. He didn't need to turn on the light. His dad always left them in that very same spot.

"WARK!" a loud sound came from behind them.

"Ah!" Aeris screamed.

Zack spun around quickly reaching for his sword, which was nonexistent. His eyes followed the length of the tall golden bird standing before them. Its sparkling blue eyes stared down at the man with black hair. Its head tilted curiously at the man. It warked loudly once more.

"…Kweh?" Zack answered.

"WARK!!" the bird hopped and trotted in circles. It chirped, twittered, warked, and screeched.

"Kweh! Kweh!" Zack grabbed onto the birds reigns. "I can't believe it! It's Hector!"

"You know this bird?" Aeris asked nervously.

"Yeah! It was my bird before I died. Oh man! I was sure he was lost after that…" Zack patted the bird on the neck. "Go on, you can pet him. He won't hurt you."

"What…is he?" Aeris took a small step forward.

"A chocobo! You mean you haven't seen one before?" Zack gave her a look of disbelief.

"No…" Aeris shook her head. "I mean, I've heard of them but I have never seen on myself before."

"Well, no worries. This bird knows you. You've ridden on him before." Zack grabbed her hand, leading her closer to the animal.

"I have?" She questioned in a small voice. Her fingers rustled through the bird's feathers. She smiled. "He's soft." She giggled.

"Hector's the greatest." Zack watched as Aeris ran her hands along the bird's body. She got close and hugged the animal. It cooed at her touch.

"He's cute!" the woman squealed.

'You're cute…' the man stared at her. She stopped betting the bird.

"What?" she asked. "Something on my face?" she covered her face.

"No." Zack shook his head.

"Then why were you staring?" Aeris asked suspiciously.

"Cause I wanted to." The man smirked. He turned away. "It's getting late. We've had a long day. Why don't we hit the sack?"

"Ok…" Aeris patted the chocobo's back once more and then trotted to the back step of Zack's house.

* * *

"You can have my room." Zack handed the woman a blanket and some extra pillows. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"You're going to let me stay in your room now?" the woman taunted. "What if I go through your things?"

"Please don't…" he chuckled.

"But it's not fair for me to stay in your room…it's your house and you haven't been here in years. Why don't I take the couch?"

"No! You're the guest, so you get the bed. I say so, no buts, ands, or ifs about it." The man shut the light off to the room, leaving only the tiny lamp next to the bed as Aeris' only light source. "Get some sleep. I'm sure we'll be up early tomorrow. Mom always makes breakfast and 'm sure dad will talk me into helping out with something in the field."

"Ok." Aeris smiled. "Sleep well."

"You too." Zack gave her a small wink. "See you in the morning."

"Night." Aeris whispered as the door shut gently behind the man. She shivered to herself, not used to being left alone. She was by Zack's side all day. She turned and headed for the bed. She hopped onto it gleefully. It was surprisingly soft. She giggled at the thick blanket by her feet. On the corner was a tiny, red airplane print. Zack really was a child at heart.

'Gotta get some sleep.' The woman yawned. She switched off the lamp on the nightstand. Darkness overtook her sight. She could hear the quiet chirp of crickets outside the window. It was so peaceful here compared to the noise from the slums and traffic overhead in the city.

Aeris closed her eyes, thinking of a happy subject to dream about. She smiled at the thought of today's incident. Her lips tingled when she thought about the kiss she and Zack had shared.

"I've never seen someone look so happy when they sleep…" A low voice sounded from the corner next to her head. Aeris' eyes flew open, fear overtook her. That wasn't Zack's voice.

"Who's there?" She sat up quickly, taking the blanket with her. She held it close to her chest protectively.

"You don't remember me?" the voice asked. "I really am hurt, Aeris." The man leaned forward revealing glowing green eyes; much like hers.

"No I don't! Please leave!" the girl scampered to the corner of the bed, ready to scream for Zack.

"Shh!" The man clasped a hand over her mouth. "Wouldn't want to wake _him_ up."

"Him?" her voice was muffled.

"Zack, of course." The man sat on the bed next to her, she felt extremely uncomfortable. "He's a traitor, you know…" the man reached into his pocket, pulling out a yellow orb. "Don't you remember the terrible things he has done to you?" His hand removed from her mouth.

"I…I don't know…" Aeris watched the man cautiously. "Who are you?"

"What? Are you serious? You're not just playing dumb with me?" the man asked her incredulously. He did notice that she hadn't tried to attack him yet.

"I have amnesia…so if you are someone important I forgot, I'm sorry." Aeris whispered.

"Amnesia!?" the man snorted. He cackled a moment later. "I cannot believe this! You're serious!? You can't remember a thing!?"

"Only bits and pieces." Aeris scooted further away. She bumped into the wall next to the bed.

"So you really have no idea who I am?" the man tried to move a strand of hair out of the woman's face.

"No!" she slapped his hand away.

"You can't remember me? You're one and only love?" his tone was hurtful.

"…" Aeris gawked. "What?"

"It's me, Aeris, Sephiroth." The man pleaded to her. "Please remember me…" he leaned forward; silver hair fell in front of his face. Pale moonlight clashed against the black clothing he wore.

"Sephiroth!? No!" Aeris jumped from the bed. He stood.

"Sh! You'll wake him!" he tugged her toward him. He moved so quickly, she didn't even see it happen. She was pulled against his chest. "He'll take you away from me again."

'What is he talking about?' Aeris tried desperately to get out of his grasp.

"He lies! He's trying to make me out to be the bad guy." Sephiroth frantically tried to explain. "Here, I'll show you." He pulled out a yellow orb. "You see, this is confuse materia. It is used to confuse people. You can place alternate thoughts/memories in someone's head. You can use this one." He pulled out a separate yellow orb. "This is manipulate. You see you can control someone's thoughts and physical movements with this. See?"

Aeris felt herself lose control. She started giggling. Sephiroth let go of her. She danced in a little circle, her hands above her head. Sephiroth watched in amusement.

"What?" she managed to get out through her giggles. Sephiroth put the orbs back into his coat pocket. "You made me do that?" she stopped.

"It's easy for someone, especially someone in SOLDIER to be able to control another person." Sephiroth informed her. "Please, come with me, Aeris. We need to get far away from here." He grabbed her hand. It was cold.

"I, I can't just leave…" She pulled her hand away. "I can't leave Zack. I don't care what you say…I need to be with him."

"He's making you say that. You feel nothing for him, it's all fake." The man said through gritted teeth.

"But what about the others!? They trust Zack; they all say that you're the one who's bad!" Aeris felt her heart pounding. Regardless whether or not this man was telling the truth her instincts were telling her to get away from him.

"That's what they want you to think. Aeris." Sephiroth grabbed her shoulders. He needed to remind himself to be gentle with her and not scare her, but it was so hard not to. There was too much enjoyment in seeing her terrorized face. "You have to trust me for now. Please trust me." The man begged. His eyes held concern.

"…" Aeris stared into his eyes, watching his emotions. The man seemed unstable. He looked as if he had been through a lot. A lot of pain, sadness, hate, anger. Even though she couldn't remember him, she thought this worried look was foreign upon his features.

"Please…" the man sputtered. He seemed desperate. "Here! Proof. Proof that you and I were together; we were together and you trusted me." The man patted his pockets. He smiled when he pulled out another orb. Aeris gasped at the sight of this.

"Where'd you get that?" she stared at the pale green glow of the materia in Sephiroth's hands. It was no doubt her materia, the one her mother had given her.

"You gave it to me." Sephiroth nodded.

"They said I lost it in the fall." Aeris wanted to cry. She was so happy he had her materia. It wasn't lost, wasn't missing for all eternity. "Can I have it?" she held her hand out.

"…" Sephiroth hesitated. "I don't know. You said not to give it to anyone, not even you."

"Why would I say that?" Aeris asked.

"In case something like this happened. Are you sure that you really have amnesia? Are you sure they aren't making you forget your past to get them on their side?" Sephiroth held the orb in front of her eyes. "They always did want to take advantage of you and that materia. They fooled the whole world, fooled us. Cloud…he and Zack…they are the ones who killed us."

"Said it was you." Aeris shook her head. "What about my memories? What about my dreams?"

"Manipulate, confuse. They're doing it to you constantly." Sephiroth stuck a hand into his pocket. He focused his memories. "Zack…he…did some bad things to you."

"Like what?" Aeris swallowed hard. She was so confused. She didn't know what was going on.

"Do you remember that night in the hotel in Nibelheim?" Sephiroth asked.

"No…" Aeris thought a moment. A memory flashed through her head. She was in her bathrobe. Sephiroth was in her room. They were talking about something but she couldn't remember. "Wait…a little. It's coming to me." She closed her eyes. She could remember Sephiroth suddenly gone. Zack came in her room. They kissed. Aeris felt that there was something not right.

"What happened that night?" Sephiroth toyed with the materia in his pocket. A smile crossed his face.

"I…I was forced…" she covered her mouth. Zack was in her room. He was on top of her in her bed. She didn't even want to think about what happened next. It wasn't right, it couldn't be. Zack would never.

"He did something he shouldn't have." Sephiroth nodded. "I was gone. I left for a bit and the man came in…"

"He didn't! He couldn't!" Aeris held her arms around her. She suddenly felt very vulnerable.

"What'd you find that next morning?" Sephiroth asked. "I left something with you so you wouldn't forget me."

"Your glove." Aeris groaned. She felt very sick. This wasn't right. "Zack…they all said it was you who did this…I don't know why I remember that feeling. But I thought it was you who did it." She held a hand to her forehead. At first I thought it was you but when I think about it again, it was for sure Zack." She covered her mouth. Tears stung her eyes. She had cried all night and day after that had happened and no one knew the truth. Zack invaded her room and had his way with her forcefully. She remembered his face holding onto the yellow materia as he removed his clothing. She remembered the look in his cold blue eyes as he violated her. "NO!" Aeris shook her head. "I won't believe it! I can't think about it!"

"It's true Aeris. And until you listen to me and remember things they way they truly are, you will not receive your materia." He plopped the green orb into his pocket.

"Aeris!?" Zack's voice sounded from the other side of the door. The woman gasped. She looked to the door and when she looked back, Sephiroth was gone.

"Zack?" Aeris whispered shakily.

"Are you alright?" the man opened the door. "What happened?" he had his sword in his hand.

Aeris jumped back at the sight of it. Zack gave her a curious look. She nodded quickly, wiping at her eyes.

"Just a nightmare." She stuttered.

"I thought I heard another voice." Zack eyeballed the room.

"No…" Aeris shook her head quickly.

"Okaaaay." Zack sighed. "Are you sure you're alright, you scared the shit outta me."

"Fine. Sorry to have woken you." Aeris gave her best smile.

"Alright. Try to get back to sleep. Think happy thoughts." Zack nodded her way. He put on a fake smile and closed the door behind him. Aeris let out her breath.

'That was too close.' She turned around.

"Damn too close." Sephiroth's voice muttered.

"Oh!" Aeris covered her mouth.

"Come on, we leave now." Sephiroth tugged on her wrist. Her golden bracelets clanged together.

"No, I don't think I should…" Aeris whispered.

"Now." Sephiroth gave her a cold glare. He pulled harder. Aeris struggled, tugging the other way. The bracelets on her wrist fell to the floor, clanging and scattering across the carpet.

"Please, don't." Aeris pleaded. The man pulled on her other wrist. He lifted her into his arms and in an instant they were gone through the window, out into the darkness of the night.

* * *

Zack awoke, fully rested. He stretched and yawned loudly.

"Bout time you woke up. Decided to let you sleep in." his mother fried some hash browns in a pan. "Surprised Aeris isn't awake yet. Didn't figure she was a deep sleeper like you." His mother laughed.

"She's not awake?" Zack looked at the clock. Even Aeris didn't sleep in this late. 'Shit!' his internal alarm clock went off. Something was very wrong. Zack hopped to his feet. He sprinted down the hall and burst through the door to the bedroom.

"Aeris!?" he called out. The window to the bedroom was open. He hollered out the window. Hector's face bumped into his. "Where is she, Hector!?"

"WARK!?" the bird cocked it head to the side.

"Aeris!" Zack stumbled off the bed. He stepped on something hard. He looked down. Aeris' golden bracelets were on the floor. He frowned. They were scattered everywhere. He picked them up quickly. "You bastard!" Zack cursed the one man he knew who could have done this, Sephiroth. He slid the bracelets over his wrists and headed for the front door of the house, grabbing his clothes and sword on the way.

"What are you doing!?" his mother ran out into the living room.

"What's going on?" Zack's father came into the house from the back door. "I heard screaming."

"She's gone." Zack muttered. "KWEH!" he called once he got on the front step. Hector responded, jumping over the gate.

"Aeris!?" the woman asked. "Where'd she go?"

Zack hopped onto the golden bird. "That's what I'm going to find out." The man pulled on the reigns. Hector moved in a full out sprint.

Zack's parents watched their son leave them behind once again.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed that chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Holy crap I cant wait for Crisis core to come out here. -Annubis


	23. Chapter 23

Hello all, sorry for all the scattered chapters. My schedules been really messed up lately. I got bored and decided to post the new chapter. Thanks for your patience and im glad to hear from you guys and see that your enjoying the story so far. Any suggestions or anything, just let me know! –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 23**

"So where are we going?" Yuffie asked bitterly.

"To the waterfall. " Vincent replied nonchalantly.

"The waterfall…okay. Why are we going there?" the woman slapped at a mosquito on her arm.

"To get some information." He stepped over a broken branch lying on the ground.

"How are we going to get information? You mean from Lucrecia?" she snorted. "Isn't she…a little out of it?"

"You could say that." Vincent grumbled.

"Like as in…she hasn't moved in like almost five years!" Yuffie threw her arms into the air. "I doubt this woman's going to talk now, especially since I'm here."

"…" Vincent didn't reply. He looked as if he were deep in thought.

"Why did you bring me with you?" she whined.

"You wanted to come along." He slowed his pace as they traveled down a steep slope.

"Yeah…but if I had known you were coming here, I wouldn't have tagged along." She slipped on the pebbles beneath her feet, cursing. "Why would anyone want to live here?"

"Are you finished?" the man sighed.

"What?" she glared at the man's back.

"Complaining…" he stopped at the foot of the mountain. A couple hundred yards away was a large waterfall. "I'm sorry that you have to see her. You can wait outside if you want. I'm just going to try to get her to talk to me."

"Whatever." Yuffie snapped and plopped onto a log next to the circular pond the falls spilled into. She glared at her reflection.

Vincent turned away from her and headed into the cave hidden behind the thunderous cascade. His footsteps echoed in the dark, damp cavern. In the center was a giant crystallized structure. Lucrecia slept inside, ignoring the world around her.

'Why did you do this to yourself?' Vincent shook his head. He thought this every time he saw her. He just didn't understand her.

"Why won't you come out of there and talk to me?" Vincent walked to the crystal. His metallic hand rested on the surface where her face was. "Is it because of the way I look? Are you ashamed of me? Or are you ashamed of yourself?" the man's voice was quiet. "You know you had no other choice. If you didn't want this to happen, then why did you do it?" he turned away.

"Damn it, Lucrecia! Why do you do the things you do if you are just going to regret them in the future and dwell on them!?" the man growled in frustration. "You've left me, you left everyone! We need you out here! You're the only one left who understand what Hojo was trying to do! Why can't you stop feeling sorry for yourself and help out!" he glared at the stone wall.

"You knew what you were doing. You agreed to do it. This is your project too, Lucrecia. Why don't you get out of that thing and finish your research?" he never yelled at her before. Never wanted to, but she had stayed in there for too long. "Way too long have you hidden yourself from this world. I managed to get out of my coffin, why can't you?" he faced the woman. With a low voice he said, "Isn't it about time you forgave yourself? I've forgiven you, why can't it be finished?"

"What about you?" a small voice interrupted the man's single conversation.

"Yuffie…" Vincent sighed.

"Have you forgiven yourself?" the young woman folded her arms.

"…I'm different." Vincent stared at the tiny pool of water in front of him. His red eyes shone across the reflection in multiple numbers due to the planes of the small crystals within it.

"How so?"

"Because of me…Sephiroth managed to be born. The world is constantly in danger because of that man." The man spoke slowly. "She shouldn't blame herself for saving me. She saved my life…it isn't a bad thing."

"And you think that you could have prevented it all? Lucrecia made up her mind. She would have done it regardless. Some way or another Hojo would have found a way to create Sephiroth. I'm sure she would have found a way to get around you." Yuffie felt bad telling him this, but it was about time he heard someone tell him something like this. "You don't have control over everything Vincent. You shouldn't think that you do and you shouldn't try to bare that responsibility. Sephiroth wasn't your responsibility. It was Lucrecia's and Hojo's. Lucrecia gave up, leaving him and Jenova in Hojo's hands. She allowed this 

to happen." She stared at the crystallized woman. "Like you said, she needs to stop moping around. She saved your life for a reason right?"

"…Right." Vincent nodded. He glanced at Yuffie.

"Cause she loved you." Yuffie sighed. "But after all that she locked herself up from the world, losing you anyways."

"…" Vincent watched Lucrecia. "Is that true, Lucrecia? If so…"

"Why would you make life even harder for Vincent? You aren't making anything better. You're only making things worse! You could put a stop to everything! Rid the world of this chaos! Who knows how many more times Sephiroth can come back!" Yuffie screamed at the sleeping woman.

"Yuffie…"

"Sure, he's dead now, but what happens in another five years? What other thing will bring him back!? What other clone will be a vessel? What about the Lifestream!? Why was he able to come back again? Zack and Aeris too? Why them? You know it! You have to!" the ninja girl slapped the side of the crystal. "What else if he capable of? What will Jenova think of next? What about Vincent? Why is he like this? Does he have Jenova in him too? You and Hojo planning on making him another one of your terrible experiments? "

"Yuffie."

"What was the point of putting that demon inside of Vincent if you weren't going to be there for him!? You made his life a living hell!"

"Yuffie!" Vincent grabbed the girl's shoulders. "Shut up!"

"It's true, Vincent! You know it is! Stop running from the truth and accept the fact that this woman is nothing more than a shell! She has no life! She's better off dead! She will never get out of that cage of hers! She's too weak to face the truth herself, and she's the one who did it!" Yuffie twisted around and headed out of the cave. Vincent stood in the dark quietly by himself.

"…You know…Lucrecia." Vincent brought his crimson gaze toward the statuesque figure. "I think she has a point. Why don't we just forget everything that has happened? I'm going to go now…"

Vincent walked to the edge of the cave's entrance. "I'm ready to start a new life. I'm not going to dwell in the past anymore. You can stay here if you want, but I'll tell you this now…" he slowly walked out of the dark cavern. "You're going to be awfully lonely in there by yourself. Goodbye, Lucrecia."

Vincent Valentine walked out of the cave, letting the droplets of water soak through his clothing. His black boots stomped through the bright green grass and yellow daisies. The cave was silent and dark. Lucrecia's body stood behind crystal glass. Two tears fell from her eyes.

"I'm sorry…" her lips parted to form those two words. It was something she couldn't say enough in the past. But this time it seemed lost to her. It no longer had a meaning.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Vincent nodded toward Yuffie. The girl followed the man closely.

'Perhaps…I said too much.' She lowered her head.

"So…no information?" she asked after a long silence.

"Nope." Vincent said dryly.

* * *

"Well lookie at you! Aren't you a cute one?" A lady leaned forward, staring at the little girl who had just accidentally bumped into her. "What's your name?"

"Marlene…" the little girl said shyly.

"You seemed to be in a hurry. Everything okay?" The woman asked her.

"Yeah, I was just racing Denzel. Sorry I ran into you." Marlene shuffled her feet.

"That's alright, sweetie." The woman smiled, showing her large white teeth. She had dark skin and brown eyes that sparkled. Her hair was poofy and black. She wore a pink and yellow outfit, obviously one of the employers of Golden Saucer.

"Marlene!" a low voice called out. "Where you at?" the woman straightened herself out. A tall man rushed into the room. The first thing the woman noticed was the concerned look in his brown eyes. Then she saw the robotic arm and the large tattoos.

"Oh, my. Is that your daddy?" the woman pointed a finger. Marlene smiled.

"Daddy!" she waved her hand.

"Marlene, don't you run off like that again. You scared the shh-…Hello miss!" Barret nodded quickly. "Hope my daughter didn't cause you any trouble."

"Oh, not a problem! This is your daughter?" the woman looked down at the girl. Marlene didn't look a thing like her father. She guessed she must've gotten her mother's genes.

"Yes ma'am." Barret answered politely.

"Marlene! What took you so long?" Denzel ran up to the little girl. "Come on! Let's play this game over here!" he grabbed the girl's arm and drug her to the arcade.

"Cute kids!" the woman giggled. "You're wife is a lucky woman."

"Oh, um…I'm not married." Barret scratched the back of his head nervously. "I mean, I was...a long time ago. She died."

"Really!? That's awful!" the woman gasped. "Well, what a great man you are, taking care of them by yourself. Is it hard?"

"Hard?" Barret stammered. "Oh! The, the kids! Well…sometimes. I'm on the road a lot and I can't always take Marlene with me. She stays with some friends when I can't care for her. The boy isn't mine. He belongs to the friends, but he and her are pretty much like brother an' sister." He was rambling. "Just had a little time off an' decided to bring 'em here for some fun."

"I see." The woman batted her eyelashes. Barret swallowed hard. "What a nice thing to do."

"Yeah…" he looked off to the side.

"How long are you stayin' here?" the woman leaned against one of the arcade games, her hands running through her hair.

"A couple days…" Barret smiled nervously.

"Well, I get off in a couple hours…you eat at the new diner we jes' got yet?"

Barret shook his head quickly. "Nope."

"Well, would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?" the woman raised her eyebrows. She gave him her best smile.

"I'd be glad to miss…" Barret looked at the two kids out of the corner of his eyes. "But you see…the kids."

"Oh…well you can bring them if you want! But if you're busy…" the woman pouted a little. "I understand."

"I'll work things out! I'm sure the kids would love to try out the new restaurant. Um… what time did you say?" the man was sweating bullets.

"Seven?" she asked in a high voice.

"Seven it is, miss." Barret smiled.

"Janessa." The woman grinned.

"Miss Janessa." Barret nodded quickly.

"See you tonight!" the woman winked, waving her small hand at the man. She walked away, busy at her work. Barret stared at the sway of her hips.

"…Bye…" the man mumbled quietly. "Whoo, boy…"

"So…are we goin' on a date tonight?" Denzel held his cupped hands next to his face as he batted his lashes.

"Quiet, boy." Barret grumbled.

* * *

"Shit!" Zack cursed loudly to himself. He slapped his head. "How could I let this happen!?"

"Wark?" the chocobo responded.

"Aw…sorry boy! I forgot your food at the house…" Zack growled in irritation. "I'll stop at the next ranch I see and buy you some." He didn't have time for extra stops, but getting greens for Hector was important. Chocobos burned calories quickly when on the run, especially the golden birds. Hector could do it all, climb, run, and swim. The last thing he needed was for his bird to overheat and quit on him.

"Do you know where she is?" Zack asked.

"Wark." The bird gave him a confused look.

"Jeez! What'd dad and mom do to you? You're fat and lazy now. You can't even track people!?" Zack moaned.

"WARK!" the bird protested.

"Sorry, buddy. Gotta be honest. You certainly have let yourself go."

"Wark…" the bird shook its head.

"We'll get Tifa and Cloud. They can call the others up and we can search together." Zack learned his lesson from last time. He wasn't going to try to do this alone. There was no way he was going to take the chance to save Aeris and kill off Sephiroth all on his own. He'd prefer to nuke the guy just to be safe.

"Aeris...where are you?" the man sighed.

'Why did he take her? What does he want with her? What's he going to do to her?' Zack growled through his teeth. He was seething more with each thought. Sephiroth could be doing anything to her right at this moment and that was what worried him the most.

"You better not #& touch her…" Zack cursed. "Come on, Hector. Double time."

* * *

"Ugh…" Aeris groaned. She sat up slowly, holding onto her head. She had a terrible headache. Her eyes opened slowly, revealing a sight she was not prepared for. "Ah! Where am I!?" the woman jumped to her feet. She immediately wrapped her arms around herself, her teeth chattering. Her head turned this way and that.

"In the sleeping forest." A cool voice called out to her.

"Sleeping…forest?" the woman turned around. There was a man sitting a few feet away. He had a fire lit and was cooking something. He reminded her of Kadaj with his long silver hair and dark clothing. She closed her eyes trying to remember. "Sephiroth…"

"You remembered me." The man smiled. "I'm glad." He slapped his hand on the ground next to him. "Come get some breakfast."

"Breakfast?" she asked stupidly.

"You do eat right?" the man looked up at her. "Don't tell me you're one of those girls who doesn't eat anything."

"No…I like food." Aeris gave a weak smile. Why was he being so nice? Wasn't he supposed to be an evil man?

"Good. I hope you like this…" the man smirked. He lifted a stick out of the fire. It had a small bird roasted on it. Aeris gave a funny face. "Don't worry it's good, I promise. Wouldn't feed you something unpleasant." He then handed her a big piece of tree bark. It had berries on it. Aeris smiled at this.

"You did all this?" she asked.

"For you, anything." The man chuckled. "Eat up; we have a long day ahead. We've got to make it to the Northern Crater by nightfall."

"Northern Crater? Why are we going there?" the woman stuck a berry in her mouth.

"You and I have to finish our mission there."

"Mission?" Aeris tilted her head. She had never been so confused in her entire life.

"To cleanse the planet." The man nodded.

"Cleanse the planet? How are we going to do that?" the woman asked, surprised he said cleanse rather than annihilate. Something didn't seem quite right.

"You're materia. You are the only one on the planet who knows how to use it. I've tried, I can't quite figure it out." The man fingered the tiny green orb in his pocket.

"I don't know how to use it though…I could never get it to work right." The woman shook her head disappointedly.

"You've used it before. A long time ago." Sephiroth mentioned. "You probably don't remember."

"I wish I could remember…" Aeris sighed.

"Let me help. Maybe…I can get you to remember how to use it." Sephiroth put his hand in his other pocket, grabbing the yellow materia. "There was a time when you were in the City of the Ancients. You were praying for Holy to save the planet…" Sephiroth continued speaking as Aeris tried desperately to remember.

She was on the platform in the center of the city. She was praying. Suddenly there was a loud noise. She opened her eyes. Zack was before her, his sword in Cloud's stomach. The blonde twitched in pain. He had a terrible look in his eyes, one of confusion, hurting, and emptiness all at once. He mumbled Zack's name repeatedly. The Ex-SOLDIER spun around Aeris. Next thing she knew her shoulder hurt, blood spilling down her side. Sephiroth's name was mentioned. She couldn't remember anything else.

"You see…Zack was going to try to kill you. Cloud got in his way so he attacked him. Then he tried to get you again, luckily I was above the altar. I came falling down, ending the battle. Too bad he got away. I wasn't capable of stopping him." Sephiroth said in a sad tone. Aeris looked at him in shock.

"How can this be!? But they seem like perfect friends now!" Aeris stared at the man. His glowing green eyes stared into hers.

"It's how he works, Aeris. He confuses everyone around him. He wanted you so badly he made everyone think that I was the one who was trying to hurt you, when in reality I was just trying to save you from them. Cloud's very unstable mentally. He never understood what was going on." The man placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Aeris. I'll make sure you remember everything the way it actually was."

"…Thank you…" Aeris whispered. Her eyes burned. How could this be true? Zack seemed like such a nice guy. He certainly could act, if that was what he was doing. She shivered. The woman stood from her seat on the ground. Sephiroth lifted his head, watching her.

"Everything alright?" He asked.

"Y, yeah. I'm just going to go for a little walk…" Aeris wrapped her arms around her. "Got a lot to think about…"

"I understand." Sephiroth nodded. He watched the woman as she walked through the trees of the forest. A smiled crept over his face.

'Damn that was hard to do…' the man chuckled quietly to himself. 'She's so gullible.'

"Oh, Aeris. How much fun you are." The man stood up. He stretched out his back listening to the loud pops. "Too bad I'll have to end it eventually. I certainly would love to play games with you forever."

The man sighed. He headed down the path Aeris previously had taken.

'Nowhere to go, little girl. You can run and run, the forest will never let you out.' The man laughed.

Aeris started out in a slow walk. Her eyes traveled around the strange looking trees of the forest. They gave her a strange feeling, like she had been there before. It was like something from her dreams. This place gave her chills. Something was bothering her and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Maybe it was the fact she was alone. Maybe it was Sephiroth, or the fact that ever since she met him everything seemed to change. Her pace quickened. She wasn't sure of herself anymore. She wasn't certain about Zack either. It scared her to think that she couldn't trust anybody, especially herself. What if she and Sephiroth were lovers in the past? What if everything he said about Zack was true? Her heart ached at the thought, she wasn't quite sure why either. Did she have serious feelings for Zack? Had he grown on her over the short time she could remember? Perhaps she was falling for him, but according to Sephiroth that was all a lie. Zack really was a monster, one who liked to toy with emotions. She remembered what Sephiroth told her last night. She shivered again. Would Zack really do that to her? She had remembered it, every last bit of it. Zack had done the most horrible thing imaginable to her. At least, that was what Sephiroth said. But it was what she remembered as well.

"Ah! I can't get anything straight!" the woman shook her head. Then she heard a strange noise. It sounded like a branch breaking. She looked up.

'Wasn't that tree just over there?' she stared, frozen. This was highly unlikely since trees don't move. Another loud crunch alerted her. She turned around to herself inches away from another tree. She screamed in surprise. She was sure there was a gap at least a few feet away from that tree a moment ago.

'Gotta get out of here!' the woman listened to her instincts.

She ran down the path, at least she thought it was a path. As she moved she heard the loud cracking noise behind her. It multiplied one after another, following her. It got louder and louder, trying to catch up. Aeris gave an earsplitting scream. She looked behind her shoulder, seeing the path behind her disappear behind the large trunks. The trees were chasing her!

'Help! Help me!' she called out frantically in her mind for a hero. She was breathing heavily, fog escaping her lips. Her lungs burned from the chill in the air.

She could feel the ground shake behind her. She felt leaves scraping against her skin and sticking in her hair. The trees were going to eat her! She screamed again. She never felt so scared in her entire life. Trees weren't supposed to do this, they couldn't move, they couldn't grab her, they couldn't eat her!

"Help! HELP!" Aeris cried out. "Zack!" she screamed his name unintentionally. It seemed so natural on her tongue.

Branches wrapped around her waist, tugging her away. She could see the edge of the forest, she was almost out. She needed to keep fighting. A branch wrapped around her neck, tugging her backward.

"NO!" Aeris screamed in horror.

She saw a shadow leap out from in front of her, entering the forest. It was too fast, she couldn't make out who it was. She could hear slicing and the sound of branches cracking. In seconds she was free. She turned her head around and came face to face with none other than the man she called out for.

"Zack! "Aeris wrapped her arms around him. Her cries were muffled as she pressed herself against him.

"You alright?" he asked quietly. He was hesitant to hold her.

"I'm so glad you're here! We need to leave! Sephiroth's here…I…" Aeris stopped. She couldn't breathe! "Zack!" she choked, bringing her hands to her throat. Zack was strangling her, his grip tightening.

"Why'd you leave!?" he asked angrily.

"L, let me go!" Aeris squeaked.

"I told you not to trust him! He's evil, Aeris!" the man shoved her to the ground. She scooted across the scattered leaves on the ground.

"I, I…don't know w, who to believe." Aeris sobbed.

"You can't just run away like that!" Zack grabbed his sword. Aeris felt her heart stop. She was even more frightened. She wanted to return to the trees. One hand flew to his hair, tugging as he growled in frustration.

"You're crazy!" Aeris shouted. "Get away from me!" she crawled to her feet and ran as fast as she could.

"Aeris! AERIS!" Zack's voice followed after her.

"Leave me alone!" the woman shouted.

"When I get you, I'm going to kill you!" the man snarled.

"No!" Aeris cried out. 'Run! Keep running! Find safety!' she didn't notice the tears streaming down her face.

"And you know what I'm going to do to you?" A voice called in front of her.

"Ah!" Aeris crashed into the man's chest. She stumbled backward. "H, how?"

"I'm going to cut you slowly…" the man grabbed her arm, tugging her toward him. He grabbed her hair. "From here…" his sword trailed from her chin. The woman yelped at the touch of the pointed tip. "To here." He trailed the sword down her body ending at her calf.

"Let me go." She whispered her voice was hoarse.

"But…" he ignored her pleads. "I'm going to have a little fun with you first." A sickening grin crossed the man's face.

"F, fun?" Aeris tried to pull away.

"Remember that night in Nibelheim?" he whispered in her ear.

"AH!" Aeris pulled and pulled, trying to get away. "Zack! Let me go!"

"Damn, that night sure was fun!" the man chuckled. "Why don't we do that again? Couldn't get to you last night since you ran off!"

"I didn't run…" Aeris shook her head.

"Didn't run…" the man scoffed. "Aeris! You always seem to be running away from me!"

"I'm sorry, please…just let me go. I promise…I'll go away. I won't stay with Sephiroth. Just let me go home to my mom." The woman cried.

"No. I don't want you to leave. I want you to be with me forever." The man smiled. "No one can have you, only me." Zack laughed as the woman struggled against his strong arms.

"Sephrioth!" she called out.

"Oh there you go…" the man glared. "Always yelling for your hero."

"Sephiroth! Help!" Aeris sobbed. "You're sick, you're a horrible man! You're terrible! I wish you were dead!"

"I was Aeris! But I came back, just for you." The man laughed again. He thrust her back onto the ground. The woman scrambled to get away. "And now I'm going to keep you." He kneeled onto the forest floor. He grabbed her legs and tugged her toward him. Aeris screamed in horror.

"Let me go!" She kicked. Her boot came right up and decked him in the chin. "Get offa me!" she kicked again. Her other foot hit him in the chest. The man gave a grunt at the contact. She got to her knees and crawled away.

"Aeris!" Zack yelled. His hands grabbed her shoulders. His lips were by her ear. "If you don't play nicely I'll just go ahead and kill you right now." The man poked the blade against her cheek, letting it draw some blood. "Okay?" he hissed.

"…Okay…" Aeris bit her lip. What was she going to do?

She closed her eyes. Her body was flipped over on the ground so she lay on her back. She opened one eye. Zack had a yellow materia in his hand, much like the one Sephiroth had shown her last night.

"Now then, don't worry. I'll just make you think that Sephiroth did all this and you and I can continue like nothing ever happened. We can go on like we did yesterday." The man gave a wry grin. There was something about his eyes that made him all the more menacing. He crouched down before her. Aeris shut her eyes once again, not wanting to witness any of it.

Then there was a sound, a loud sound. It was as if he was struggling with something. Zack gave out a cry. Aeris sat up quickly, ready to run. Zack was nowhere to be seen. There was a dribble of blood on the ground. Aeris looked about her. There were trees all around, but no sign of the man who was just attacking her.

"You okay?" a warm voice sounded behind her. Aeris gasped as she was lifted from the dirt. She faced the man behind her.

"Sephiroth!" Aeris called out.

"Scared him away." He voice was suddenly low and very serious. "I won't let him hurt you." He wiped a gloved finger over her cheek, removing the blood.

"Oh!" Aeris wrapped her arms around the tall man, not caring anymore who he was. She felt the man stiffen under her touch. He awkwardly patted her back. His other hand held onto his Masamune. She sobbed against him.

"I'm sorry this happened." The man spoke to her quietly. "But now do you understand what I've been telling you?"

She nodded. "I just can't believe its true…" the woman sniffled. "Can we leave?" her eyes looked up into his.

"Whenever you want." The man gave her a kind smile.

Aeris stared at his arm. Her eyes narrowed a bit as she touched him lightly. "You're bleeding!" she pointed at the man's arm.

"Oh, this? Just a scratch." He smirked. "Zack got a bit of me before he ran off."

"Then that blood…?" Aeris pointed at the ground. "Is that yours too?"

"That's Zack's." the man smirked. "Wasn't going to leave him unmarked."

"I'm glad it's nothing serious." The woman sighed. She held a hand against her chest.

'This was easier than I expected…' the man smirked.

He released the woman and began walking toward the exit. "You were heading the right way." Sephiroth gave a short laugh. "City of the Ancients is just past this line of trees. We'll be there in no time."

"Why are we going there?" the woman asked.

"Perhaps you will remember how to use the materia. It may be a reminder to you. Besides we need to cross through here in order to make it to the northern crater." The man sheathed his sword. Aeris gawked at the size of it. It was probably as tall as he was, if not taller.

"Hey." Aeris spoke up. The man turned toward her as she grabbed his injured arm. She reached into his coat pocket and pulled out her materia. The woman held her hand over the small wound and concentrated. Sephiroth watched her in amusement.

'What's she doing?' he raised a brow.

A pale green light fell from her hand. In seconds his flesh was healed, not even leaving a scar. Sephiroth tilted his head to the side, analyzing his appendage.

"For helping me out, it's the least I can do." Aeris smiled.

"Thanks." He gave her a smirk in return. Then his fingers fell to the orb in her hand. He plucked it away from her and placed it in his pocket once again.

"Hey!" she huffed.

"Your orders." He stuck his hands in the air.

"So when do I get that back?" she pouted.

"When I'm through with it." The man replied.

"Doesn't sound fair to me." She folded her arms.

"Let me tell you the one thing I learned during my time on this planet." The man looked down at her. She gave him an interested glance. "Life isn't fair."

* * *

Okay ending this chapter here. Not much of a cliffhanger or anything exciting, but I hope you still find it interesting. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and keep reading in the future! -Annubis


	24. Chapter 24

Hey guys sorry it took so long to get this new chapter posted. I've been through finals and portfolio reviews and its been keeping me busy, not to mention I was killer sick last weekend. Such a pain. Well im in my car driving to Kansas right now and to entertain myself for 8 hours im gonna work on this chapter, sadly it'll only take half the trip there so maybe ill take some breaks or read and edit it the second half of the ride home... anyways! Thanks to all of you who've reviewed its good to hear from you! Lets get this chapter started! –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 24**

Tseng pulled his coat tighter to his body trying his best to avoid the bitter winds. In one hand he held a single rose. He stared up at the apartment on the third floor of building two of the complex. There was a couple by the front door. They seemed awfully close, talking and laughing quietly to each other. The blonde flipped her hair as she shyly pressed herself up against the door. The redheaded man joked and raised his eyebrows at her, obviously being mischievous and suggestive.

"Things have gone through some changes while you've been gone." a low voice sounded from behind the man.

"So it seems." Tseng sighed. "I came to apologize to her and set the story straight. Seems she's doing fine now."

"I'm not sure when it all started myself. I was gone for vacation and when I came back it appeared the two had gotten a bit closer."

"What would you suggest I do, Rude?" Tseng looked over his shoulder at the man.

"You know me, I'm not good at this stuff." Rude cleared his throat.

"Says a man who joined Elena's cooking club and has secret dates almost every night..." a small smile crossed Tseng's lips. Even though he didn't look at the other man he could still sense his embarrassment.

"...I think you should still speak with her, but I don't know what you expect from her."

"I plan to, but not tonight." the long haired man shrugged. "It was my fault to begin with, hiding it all from her. I should've been more straight forward with her."

"You're just too understanding for your own good." Rude shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Tseng questioned. He stared at the now empty doorway to Elena's apartment. Reno had long since traveled down the steps and back to his own apartment. He watched quietly a moment as the lights went off one by one in her small home. "I have been gone a long time, without word. I just up and left without telling her the real reason. I've broken her heart, I deserve to watch her from afar as she picks her life back up."

"Yeah...but Reno? You think that's a good idea?" Rude raised a brow, his sunglasses bobbing upward. Tseng stared at him a moment, not knowing how the man could be wearing those in the dark night.

"Whatever makes her happy." Tseng chuckled. "My fate's been decided. I will have to marry regardless. It's better this way. She won't be hurt, still having feelings for me, wondering if it ever could have worked out between the two of us."

"Is that what you're worried about?" His companion asked. There was an awkward silence.

"I cannot allow myself to think of those things any longer." the man turned and headed for his car.

"I'm sorry Tseng." Rude spoke up, watching his friend open the door to the car.

"All will be fine, I'm sure." Tseng nodded. "Thank you for your condolences." the man entered his vehicle starting the engine. Bright lights flipped on, shining upon Rude.

"Just don't beat yourself up over it." the bald man muttered making his way to his own apartment.

* * *

"Nothing! These books have nothing!" Red XIII growled in irritation. "In grandpa's entire library, you cannot tell me there isn't at least one book on the Ancients and regeneration!" the animal pawed a book away from himself. He plopped onto the rug in the center of the floor resting his chin on the ground.

"How ridiculous...What should I do now?" he yawned, a slight patch of fur on his back puffed out as he did so.

His good eye darted over the books strewn across the study. Red blew out a puff of air, pouting. He spent night and day going through the books and notes about the Ancients his grandfather had written and studied.

"Wait a minute..." the animal strained to get back to his feet. "I'm an idiot..."

The beast padded toward a case on the opposite side of the room. He jumped up onto his hind legs, his front resting on the shelf before him. His green eye trailed over the text on the dusty old books.

"Lifestream...Lifestream...where is it?" his paw drug across the wooden shelf brushing off the grime. Satisfied he dug a claw into the top of the spine of a rather thick book and tipped it into his mouth.

He carried the book and trotted toward the rug once again. He sat slowly and dropped onto the ground. Slowly Red XIII pawed at the pages, speed reading the table of contents.

"Myths and Theories..." the animal purred. "That sounds interesting. 1352, 1352, 1352..." he repeated the page number in his head as he clumsily turned the pages.

He read for a few minutes, beginning to get a little aggravated. He didn't care about the supposed origins of the Lifestream, nor did he care about the supposed energy it had caused by the four directional poles that many past kings and queens built their kingdoms upon for luck and fortune. He didn't feel like knowing where to place his couch because of the flow of the Lifestream under Cosmo Canyon. A certain headline caught his eye.



'_Regeneration myth.'_

"It has been known that rulers of the Ancient race found a way for eternal life. It has been said one man had rule for over 500 years. Whether it was by potion or any other means is unknown. One myth states that the Cetra knew of a procedure that would regenerate the body and rid it of any ailments. Documents reveal little of this ritual but many words translated came up with the same meaning; 'regeneration' and 'Lifestream'. One theory is that the Ancients were one with the Lifestream and by committing pagan rituals and sacrifices they were able to maintain their health and live long prosperous lives, though there is no evidence of this." Red snorted. "Preposterous. The Ancients were nothing like this, they were too kind in nature to have sacrificial rituals. What a ridiculous book." Just as he was about to throw the book in the corner he read the next line. "Another theory states that once a body has died and placed into the stream, it will be regenerated by the life force of the Lifestream/planet. Of course this is only a theory and no evidence is known to prove this."

Red XIII stared at the words a moment, dumbfounded.

"Because Aeris and Zack died and their bodies fell into the Lifestream immediately, they were allowed regeneration. But, why them and not others? Plenty of people have drowned in the Lifestream or died of Mako poisoning." Red went over the pages again.

"Sacrificial rituals..." he rolled his eyes again as he read the paragraph. He paused a moment. "Wait a minute...sacrifice. What if both theories are correct?" the animal gasped, getting to his feet. "I must relay this information to the others!" he lifted the book into his chops and galloped out of the room.

* * *

"Cloud!" Tifa drug out the middle of his name. "Are you scaring the customers again!?" she sighed loudly, placing her hands on her hips.

"It's not my fault I don't have boobs, Tifa." the man shrugged casually.

"These are the worst tips I've had in years." the woman ignored the man's comment.

"Wanna trade? I'm tired of dealing with 'em." the blonde joined her side behind the bar next to the sink.

"Sure. My hands are getting pruney anyways." she pulled her delicate hands out of the soapy water. "Make sure you use really hot water!" she waved a finger at the man.

"Hot water, soap, rag, air dry...yeah I know." the man groaned.

"Who ordered Sex on the Beach!?" the girl hollered, carrying a tray full of fruit drinks. Cloud glared at the company as a series of hoots and hollers were given as the woman trotted to the guests' tables.

'Are these names necessary?' the man shook his head.

"Thank you sir!" Tifa smiled at an elderly man who slipped a tip into the woman's apron as she walked by. It took her a while to get used to the costumer's contact when she first began working at the Seventh Heaven back when Barret owned the bar in Sector Seven. It didn't take long, however, to get used to using her fists whenever someone got a little too touchy feely. Now she learned to embrace her looks in order to gain more tips and keep food on the table.

'Like a safer, more modest approach to prostitution.' the woman repeated Bigg's words he had said to her so many years ago.

Now she'd have to start all over, dealing with Cloud and his itchy hand that constantly went to the handle of his sword every time a man so much as spoke to the woman. The two of them were going to need to figure a way to keep business up now that Cloud was helping out.

"Hey, how bout sharing a drink or two with us tonight?" a scruffy man asked. Tifa felt her cheeks turn a bright red.

"Um, not tonight, boys." the woman gave him a look telling him to keep his mouth shut. Despite her efforts, Cloud heard everything. His blue gaze was shooting lasers at the group of men. Tifa pointed her finger at the blonde whom was grabbing his sword mouthing 'no!' to him.

"Aw, why not? Always share a drink with that gentleman over there." the drunk man slurred. He pointed to the corner.

Tifa's eyes went to the man who had entered the bar a moment ago, taking off his suit jacket and resting it on the back of the chair.

"Reno?" Tifa smiled. She hadn't even noticed him.

"Yo. What's up sweet cheeks?" Reno gave her a grin.

"How were the kids?" the woman skipped to the redhead.

"Great! Great, actually." he gave a sheepish grin as he rubbed the back of his head. There was an awkward silence.

"So...I guess I owe you-." Tifa whispered. She could feel Cloud's piercing eyes.

"Naw! Don't worry about it. How bout just a free drink?" the man winked. "Mr. Strife! How are you doing tonight? Been a long time."

"It sure has." Cloud gave a curt nod.

"The usual?" Reno turned his attention back to the astonished young woman before him.

"S, sure!" she stuttered, holding the tray against her chest. "Cloud! Round of drinks for this table!" she trotted away to get the man's order. "Aw, hell. Just give me the bottle and a glass." she reached over the counter and snatched up the bottle from the man's hand.

"Tifa?" Cloud watched her curiously.

"Payment for watching the kids." Tifa said under her breath as she turned and left in a hurry.

"Oh? Then...no date?" Cloud asked to no one. He couldn't help his sigh of relief.

"So, what's up with ditching me?" Tifa asked as she set the bottle and glass onto the man's table.

"Oh, no reason. Wouldn't want to put you through that kind of torture. This bottle is payment enough. The kids were fine. I may even offer to watch 'em again someday." the redhead sputtered out quickly, pouring the golden liquid into his cold mug.

"Who is she?" Tifa batted her lashes.

"Mwah!?" the man coughed, choking on his drink. Tifa stared at him, folding her arms over her chest. She raised her eyebrows, obviously not a fool.

"You're a quick one, Tifa." the man gave her a smug look. He took another drink.

"Who?" the woman pulled the glass from his fingers.

"Aw, jeez!" the man leaned back in his chair. He looked off to the side.

"..." he sighed, tapping his fingers on the table, stalling.

"Reno." she pried.

" 'Lena..." he muttered.

"Elena!?" Tifa gasped. She pulled out the seat opposite of him and sat down. "Details!"

"Hey! Why wouldn't you sit ...with me?" the scruffy man from the previous table hiccuped.

"Quiet John!" the girl roared from her seat. She watched Reno, waiting patiently.

"We've gotten close lately..." the man spoke slowly and quietly. "She helped me a few times with the kids."

"What did you two do while my kids were staying at your place?" Tifa gasped.

"No! Nothing like that!" Reno cleared his throat. He gave her an ornery look and bounced his eyebrows up and down. "We waited till Barret came and picked 'em up."

"Ew. Too much info." the woman giggled. "So you and Elena are dating now?"

"Um...I guess you could say that." the man was very uncomfortable between Tifa's prying and Cloud's deadly glares.

"But...what about Tseng?"

"Tseng? He's the one who dumped her. Left without explanation. Still don't know exactly why he did it." Reno sighed. He ran a hand down his face. "Doesn't sound like Tseng at all."

"Uh oh." the woman covered her mouth.

"What?" Reno coked his head to the side.

"I think I may know why." the woman gave a strange face, like she just let out information she wasn't supposed to.

"Why?" the man leaned forward.

"We went to Wutai while you were watching the kids. Yuffie has an arranged marriage, turns out."

"Yuffie!? She's getting married!?" the man shuddered. "Feel sorry for the poor bastard cursed with that fate." he laughed, binging his drink to his lips.

"That would be Tseng." Tifa laughed nervously.

"What!?" Reno dropped his glass. He slapped the table with two hands. "Jesus, Tifa! You've got be #& kiddin' me!"

"'Fraid not." the woman sighed, wiping up the spilt alcohol.

"So, that's why he was in Wutai!? Cause he's gettin' married!?" the man strung out a few curse words rubbing his temples.

"It was an arranged marriage. He had no choice. Yuffie didn't either." Tifa explained.

"That's no excuse! He shoulda told her! Damn it!" the man covered his face. "Someone's gotta tell her, Tifa."

"..." the woman wrung her hands.

"She was hurt. She was so upset about all of this! And it turns out he was getting married!? And bull shit he didn't have a choice! Everyone has a choice! Fate isn't real, there is no destiny! You don't just go through life letting yourself be defeated by other people's decisions!" the man was furious. "Damn it!"

"I'm sorry, Reno." Tifa bit her lip.

"I've got to tell her. I've gotta fix all this." The man stood from the table.

"Wait! What do you mean you got to fix this!?" she followed him to the door. "You mean you're..." she froze when the man turned to her.

"Elena loved him. She loved him more than anything, Tif..." he sighed. "If I can fix that for her, I'd do it."

"What about your feelings?" the woman asked him.

"...As long as she's happy, I'm happy!" he beamed and headed out the door in a hurry.

"Oh, Reno. Don't hurt yourself over this mess." Tifa sighed.

"He left in a hurry." Cloud muttered. He was serving a table near the door.

"Girl problems." Tifa gave Cloud a fake smile.

"Everyone's having girl problems lately." Cloud shook is head. "Or at least I've heard."

"But what about you?" the long haired woman walked with the man back up to the bar.

"Um..." he scratched his head. "Do I?"

"I think you've got it better than all the others." she grinned.

"I think so too." he shrugged. "Did you just feed yourself a compliment?"

"Maybe." the woman set her tray at the bar and loaded it with a new set of drinks. "Get to work, Strife. You've been dilly dallying too long! Look at all these dirty tables!" the woman spun away quickly returning to one of the rowdy tables next to the window.

"_I've _been dilly dallying?" the man stared at the girl.

Once Reno left, the night seemed to slow down. Business just wasn't hopping like usual. The rowdy group stayed for hours, never wanting to leave. Tifa had no complaints, as long as they kept drinking, she kept making money and tips. Cloud on the other hand, had about enough.

"Argh, Tifa! Come sit over here! Give us a dance!" one man slurred almost incoherently. He had learned her name, overhearing it from the common costumers.

"A dance?" Tifa sang out.

"Yeah! Baabbeey!" one man cheered.

Tifa frolicked over to the table. "And whad-do-I git?" The woman giggled innocently.

"A kiss?" one man said.

"Noooo." Tifa shook her head, smiling.

"A drink on me?" another suggested.

"I wooork here." she replied giggling.

"Whad 'bout this?" a man took out a bill from his wallet and waved it in her face.

Tifa smiled widely, grabbing the bill from the man's hand and stuffing it into her apron. It was his last bill and was worth only 20 gil. Cloud watched the spectacle from the bar, interested in just what the hell it was Tifa was doing.

"Okkaaay!" Tifa hopped up and down in a circle, wiggling her hips and her arms. Tifa may have been a great martial artist but she sure as hell couldn't dance. She giggled and swayed and pointed at the men, winking. All the boys laughed and cheered, clapping their hands in tune of the non existent music. Cloud gaped at the scene. Tifa waved her hand at the man she took the bill from. He waved back.

"Ta daaaa!!" she jumped onto a nearby chair, lifting her arms into the air. She bowed a couple of times.

"Hooray!" the men clanked their bottles and glasses together.

"Aww...you still got yer clothes on." one man protested.

"Damn right I do." Tifa nodded and hopped off the chair. "How bout another round to make up for it?"

"Cheers!" the men laughed.

"I suppose that's a yes?" Tifa went back to the bar.

"Shouldn't we be kicking 'em out soon?" Cloud asked, his arms folded.

"Yup, but we've got five minutes left." she winked.

"Nice dance by the way." Cloud chuckled.

"Should see me when I've had a drink, I'm even better."

"I know, I've seen you're drunk dance." the man smirked, returning to his dishes.

"What!?" Tifa straightened up, her face red.

She was about to question him when the door to the bar opened, a small bell ringing.

"Welcome!" Tifa faced the new customer, a large smile on her face. "How can I help-?"

"Zack!?" Cloud called out.

"Zack?" Tifa frowned. The man stumbled into the bar, bringing a large, golden chocobo in with him. The two of them looked frozen, covered in ice and snow.

"Ah! I thought there were no animals allowed in here!" One of the customers spat out his beer.

"Sorry, we're closed!" Cloud grabbed a couple of men by their shirt collars and led them to the door.

"We'll be open tomorrow by 11 AM!" Tifa bowed to her customers, escorting them out the door beside Cloud, ignoring their protests.

"What happened?" Cloud rushed to the shivering man and his bird.

"Aer, Aeris." Zack stuttered.

"Get inside!" Tifa shut the door, pushing him over to the bar. "Cloud get him something warm!" the woman ran to the closet grabbing as many towels and blankets she could. Cloud looked through the cabinets for some coffee. Tifa threw a large blanket over the chocobo.

"She...she was kidnaped. I'm sure of it." the man shivered.

"By who." Cloud slammed a mug onto the counter. His eyes were closed, his mouth a straight line. Tifa laid a blanket onto the black haired man's shoulders.

"Who d, do you th, think?" the man frowned.

"He's supposed to be dead." Cloud growled.

"Yeah, that's what I thought..." Zack sighed.

"How'd it happen?" Tifa sat next to the man running her hands over his arms to help keep him warm. Hector laid onto the ground, curling into a ball.

"Last night. W, we were asleep." the Ex-SOLDIER explained. "Never heard a damn thing. She made a loud noise in the middle of the night. Thought something was up. She said it was a bad dream and that she was fine. Went back to sleep. Didn't hear anything the rest of the night. Probably in there 

with her when I came in. Shoulda stayed with her... shouldn't have let her out of my sight. Bastard always finds a way to come back, to torture us, #& with us!" He glared at the coffee in his mug. "Came here as fast as I could."

"You should have called." Tifa advised.

"Don't have the cell. Wasn't thinking. Had to get here as fast as possible. Mom an dad never liked phones that much anyways. Mostly wrote them letters." Zack spoke in fragments. "Gotta find her. Gotta kill him. Get rid of him..." he played with the golden bracelets on his wrist. Tifa stared at them sadly. She didn't like seeing her friends upset like this.

"We'll help you." Cloud spoke. "I'm glad you came to us rather than go by yourself like last time."

"Yeah. I learned my lesson after that." Zack scoffed.

"We'll leave tomorrow morning." the blonde reached for the phone.

"We have to leave now!" Zack stood, knocking over the stool.

"Zack, you need your rest. You're practically a popsicle. You and...is that Hector?"

"Yeah..." Zack looked down at the miserable bird. "I'm sorry Hector!" Zack dropped to the floor wrapping his arms around the bird. "I shouldn't have pushed you so hard! Don't hate me! Please don't die!"

"WARK!?" the bird gave him a worried look.

"Zack...I don't think he's going to die. I think he'll be just fine." Tifa looked at the man as if he were crazy. "You two just need to rest and get warm."

"Ah, but Aeris. I let her down again! I'm horrible! I'm the worst bodyguard in the entire history of the universe!" the man groaned. "Tifa..." he whined like a sick child.

"You're not the worst bodyguard in the world. We'll help you find her, get her back and everything will be fine." She kneeled next to the man, helping him to his feet. Cloud meanwhile talked on the phone.

"Do you think she hates me?" he muttered, his head falling back, mouth gaping wide.

"Now you're just being silly. I bet she's absolutely worried about you too. She's strong. She can take care of herself. She won't let anything happen to her. She's probably looking forward to seeing you again! I bet right now she's dreaming about you!" Tifa smiled.

"Maybe..." Zack pouted.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." Tifa guided the man up the stairs.

When she returned Cloud was getting off the phone.

"Cid said he'd leave as soon as he can. Shera's going to be pissed." Cloud mumbled.

"I feel awful making everyone leave their homes like that." Tifa sat in the stool.

"Everyone cares about her, no one thought it was a trouble. They all want to help. After this, we can all relax...and..." the man stared off into space.

"Be a real family?" Tifa asked hopefully.

"Yeah..." Cloud swallowed hard. His eyes dropped to the floor. "Meanwhile..." Tifa tilted her head at the man. "What do we do about that?" he pointed at the bird on the floor sleeping heavily, tiny snorts and snores escaping its beak.

* * *

"Something on your mind?" Sephiroth turned to his companion.

"Um...no, it's nothing." Aeris rubbed her wrists, missing the other bracelets that were gone. She glanced at the silver haired man through the flames of the campfire.

"Thinking about what happened earlier today?" he asked.

"Maybe..." she stared at her feet, her eyes stinging. She couldn't believe Zack would do something like that. It greatly disturbed her. It seemed so out of character.

"Having second thoughts?" the man asked, a little disgruntled.

"Hm? No..." Aeris shook her head quickly. "I don't want to see him ever again..."

The two sat silently next to each other the rest of the night.

* * *

Okay end of the chapter. Nothing too exciting or romantic, sorry. That should be in the next chapter so look forward to that! Now that im done with school for the break there should be no more annoying delays! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	25. Chapter 25

Since it took me so long to update last time I decided to post the new chapter early. Just got back from KS last night and the apartments a killer mess. But instead of cleaning up, I'm writing this! Thanks to all those who are reading and reviewing, and I'm sorry if you're aggravated about the whole Seph/Aeris thing. It's supposed to be frustrating. Something to get you to hate the guy even more. So stick with me. I haven't given up on Zack and Aeris! –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 25**

If there was one thing in the entire world that irritated Reno more than anything, it was the alarm clock. Whether it signified 'Get up and go to work' or not, it still was the worst sound to the man's ears. And today it screeched like an alarm warning him of his impending doom, as if a nuclear blast was heading his way. His head pounded with each wonderful blast. He barely even drank a thing last night and this atrocious, minuscule, sad excuse for a clock was threatening to blow his brain into smithereens.

Today was the weekend, yes, but Reno did have reason to get up. He had to meet with Elena. They were supposed to go out for lunch, but now there were other motives in the man's mind for not being late. After his little talk with Tifa last night, the man decided it would be best to tell Elena the truth as to why Tseng left her. Elena had loved, obsessed over the man for years and for him to pick her up and take her into his world and suddenly drop her without word was something Reno wouldn't stand for. He had never seen Elena so hurt. She truly had loved Tseng and for Reno to know the break up was over something as stupid as a Wutain tradition was ridiculous. He couldn't continue dating Elena knowing that the man she loved didn't leave her because he didn't love her back, but because someone else decided his love and life should be given to someone else, a brat nonetheless, named Yuffie. He had to fix things, for Elena. He wanted to see her happy, wanted to know that she wouldn't be sad forever asking herself what she did wrong in her relationship with Tseng.

Reno squint his eyes, the alarm seemingly getting louder. In one loud smack his hand flew to the snooze button, shutting off the maddening device. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. He let out a groan as he stretched and then yawned. He scratched his head, his fingers getting caught in red tangles. He shut off the alarm clock, not wanting to hear the blasted alarm go off again once the snooze timer was up. Removing the covers, he got to his feet, grabbing the clothes lying in the chair next to his night stand. He shuffled to the bathroom ready for his morning shower.

'What about your feelings?' Tifa's words echoed in his mind. He thought about the question over the duration of the shower.

He wrapped the warm, white towel around his waist. A hand ran over the surface of the mirror, removing condensation. "I'll be fine. Nothing can take down the great Reno." The man smirked at his reflection. "I never was meant to be tied down anyway. I'm a bachelor…" he finished drying himself. "Should stay that way. It's for the better." Reno slipped on his clothes. He messed with his red bangs a minute before heading back into his room, pulling it up into his typical ponytail.

"Well…" he sighed, looking at the silver watch on his wrist. "Time to go, yo." He picked up his jacket and keys, heading out the door. Today was going to be a shitty day.

* * *

"You look cold." Sephiroth mumbled, poking the dying fire with a stick. Aeris sat up, her arms around her. She gave him a curious look. It must've been almost morning. A hint of pale orange threatened to show itself on the horizon.

"Well, if someone hadn't kidnapped me in the middle of the night, I wouldn't have had to wear my nightgown everywhere." The woman ran her hands over her thighs, trying to warm them.

"I didn't kidnap you." The man said sternly as he arose to his feet. His eyes were cold, frightening. Aeris stared up at him, fear on her face. She glanced to the side, not wanting to watch his glaring eyes. "Here." Something heavy plopped into her lap. She lifted the object. "You've been shivering all night." He simply stated, returning to his seat.

"B, but…" Aeris stood. He had given her his coat. It was still warm from his body heat. The gesture made her blush.

"Just put it on, Aeris." The man cast a fire spell over the kindling.

The woman hesitated a moment before sliding it over her shoulders. The warmth was very much welcomed to her. She bit her lip, staring at him. He was topless now. Why he never wore a shirt under that jacket, she did not know. She tried not to stare at his chest as the firelight danced over his skin.

"But, what about you? Aren't you cold?" she managed to ask. She looked up at the giant seashell homes about her. They were in the City of the Ancients. Today they would journey to the Northern Crater. Sephiroth seemed to not worry about the cold and snow they would soon be venturing into.

"I'm fine." He simply stated, watching the flames. It was quiet several minutes. Aeris had returned to her seat on the icy ground.

"Did I wake you?" her voice was soft and hoarse. She hoped she wasn't catching a cold.

"Wake me?" he asked, genuinely curious. He thought a moment before letting a chuckle escape his dry lips. "No. I don't sleep."

"Don't sleep?" her brows rose. "Why not?" She leaned forward.

"I've done enough sleeping in my time." he mumbled. He failed to mention that Jenova refused to let him rest until his mission was finished.

Aeris tilted her head, looking at his eyes. There were dark circles. The man was very pale. She saw him sigh deeply as he continued to gaze at nothing in the fire. "You should try." The woman suggested. "You do look very tired."

"I look tired?" He asked.

"Very. Do you have insomnia? Maybe you should try sleeping a bit. I know!" the woman got to her feet. "You can take a nap! You try to get some rest, what's the hurry, right? I'll gather some food from the woods and you can sleep while I do that!" she bubbled.

"Nap?" the man looked at her as if she were crazy. He stared at his long black jacket resting on her body. It hung off her body loosely, dragging on the ground. It contrasted greatly with the white nightgown she wore and the long curls of her hair. She looked too innocent to be wearing his clothes.

"Yup!" she nodded. She trotted over to him. "Lay down! It's not healthy to be up all the time. You need more than just food to live. Sleep re-energizes the body. I bet you'll feel much better once you get some sleep." She pushed him over onto the ground. He stared at her incredulously.

"I feel fine." He grumbled.

"How would you know? You haven't slept in the entire time I've been with you, and who knows how long you were awake before you took me with you!" she skipped to the other side of the fire, gathering the small plate of bark that held their fruit and nuts from the day before. "You stay here, I'll be back soon!" before the man could say a thing she ran out into the woods.

"…She's a strange one…" the man stared at the empty spot where she had previously been sitting. He couldn't help the strange feeling he had. Whenever Aeris was around, there wasn't a moment of silence. Now she was gone, the only sound being the crackle of the fire. Sephiroth looked about him and realized for the first time how long it had truly been since he had any company with him. "Sleep." He scoffed. "How am I to sleep when I know she's out there running around?" he got to his feet.

"She could very well run off." He folded his arms, thinking. "Not that she would. She's scared to death of returning to her friends."

'But what if something attacks her?' a strange voice sounded in his head, one he hadn't heard in a very long time.

"She is very weak and incapable of protecting herself. It would be too soon for her to be killed. I still need her to carry out my plans." The man sighed, diminishing the fire with a wave of his hand. How good it sounded to actually take that nap was a surprise to the man. He never even thought of sleeping himself. Jenova would probably have his head for sleeping on the job. "Not now. Once my mission is over I can sleep all I want."

Sephiroth stepped over the warm ashes, his boots crunching against the tiny pieces of firewood. He made his way back toward the entrance of the city to where the forest was to find Aeris.

* * *

"Oh please, don't go!" Shera reached out to her husband, fingers digging into his jacket. She pulled him around to face her. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Shera." Cid sighed.

"I have such a bad feeling, Cid. I don't want you to go." She sniffled. "You've done your job! You've already saved the planet! You've fought many times! Isn't it enough!? Why must you go back!?" the woman cried out.

"These are my friends, Shera." Cid placed his hands on her shoulders roughly. "I've fought beside them in the past, they need me. I'll help them out once again, because it's not just fer them. It's fer the planet, fer everybody on the planet." He stared into Shera's watering eyes. "I'm gonna protect this planet, I'm gonna protect you an' the baby." He rested a gloved hand on her belly.

"But I don't want you to go. What if something bad happens to you?" Shera rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"Nuthin's gonna happen to me." The man drawled. "I'm made of steel you know that."

"Cid." She rolled her eyes.

"I'll be back in no time. An' when I get back…I'll…take you shoppin'."

"Shopping?" Shera smiled a bit, forgetting her problems.

"Yup. Get a new cradle an' everything. We'll buy anything you want fer the baby."

"You mean it!?" Shera beamed. Cid hated spending money. There were only three things he ever wanted to use his money for; first, supplies for his plane, second his cigarettes and third his tea. Now that cigarettes were off the list he figured he could use that money for things for the baby, and to get Shera off his back about leaving.

"I promise." The man drawled. "Now, I really gotta go, Shera. One of my friends is missin' an' I ain't gonna sit here an' wait. They need me an' my plane." Cid kissed her on the cheek. He turned and darted for his plane, its engine running and ready to go.

"Call me, Cid!" Shera called out.

"Will do!" Cid waved behind him as he hopped into the cabin, the plane taking off.

"I love you cid!!" Shera called out, her hair and clothes blowing about her in a mess as the propellers spun quicker. "Don't get hurt." She placed her hands on her cheeks, a nervous wreck.

* * *

Elena opened the door to her apartment, giddy about seeing the man on her front doorstep. She hadn't felt this happy about seeing anyone in what seemed like years. She felt bad admitting it to herself, but she rarely got like this even when Tseng was around.

"Hi!" She giggled like a schoolgirl.

"Hey, Lena." Reno gave her a small wave.

"What's wrong?" Elena frowned.

Reno was upset; the man never greeted her like that. Usually his hellos were filled with more romanticism, or at least what Reno thought was romantic. It tended to be more sexual. To be honest she was expecting something like, 'Woah! Look at you? How bout we stay in for lunch?' Not just, 'Hey, Lena.' And he never frowned. Elena fidgeted uncomfortably.

"I…" He sighed, looking off to the side. "I need to talk to you, hon." His shoulders drooped.

'Oh my god! Oh my god! He's dumping me!' Elena felt her heart pounding inside her chest. 'But why!? What did I do now!? What went wrong!? He was so happy last night!'

"Sure." Elena smiled at him. "You want me to get you something to drink?" the woman asked as she took his jacket. She headed for the liquor on her counter top. The red head made his way to the couch, dropping into it carelessly.

"No, it's alright, Lena." The man replied. Her hands dropped the bottle loudly onto the fake marble surface.

'Shit! He doesn't want a drink!? I'm so screwed! #damn it, Reno! Don't do this to me!' the woman walked over to the couch where he was sitting. She was twirling her hair quickly messing with it, suddenly very self conscious. She sat carefully next to the man.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" the woman leaned forward.

"Um…" the man took a deep breath. They sat in uncomfortable silence for a very long time. Elena felt like she was going to burst into tears, and she hadn't even heard a word he had to say.

'It's alright, Elena. Maybe he's sick. Not feeling well. He's moving to a new place. He got fired! Oh my god! I'll kill him! No…that can't be it. Maybe…he and Rude got into a fight! He got drunk last night, slept with another woman.' Elena had a million thoughts a second. Reno looked at her sideways; he obviously could sense how tense she was. 'That would be okay. We could get through that. We can fix _small_ 

problems like that! Just don't leave me Reno!' the woman noticed his stare. 'Oh god! He's staring at me now! Maybe I should say something. Maybe I did something. Are we fighting? Is this a fight? What happened? Maybe…ok.' She calmed herself. 'Maybe it's really nothing. I'm just a worry-wart. Or it's something good and he's just nervous! Yeah! But what? He got me a present! A necklace, or earrings, or a ring! Oh my god! A ring! Oh no! Is he going to propose to me!?' her mouth gaped a moment. She was sure she gave him the strangest look ever. 'I don't think I'm ready for that. Maybe in the future, but right now!?'

"Elena." Reno situated himself on the couch so he faced her better.

"Y, yeah!?" she shook her head, trying to get rid of the thoughts. He stared at her another moment and watched her fidget, could tell her mind was swimming in thoughts. She twirled her hair, played with her fingers and avoided his eye contact. He saw what she was wearing, a new outfit which Reno thought she couldn't have looked cuter in.

"Damn it." The man ran a hand over his face.

'Just do it, get it over with.' The man cursed himself.

"Ok. There's something important I need to tell you." He reached into his pocket.

'He is proposing! Shit!' the woman smiled brightly at him, not sure what exactly was going on.

He pulled out a cigarette. Elena felt her heart sink. He never smoked in front of her, she complained too much about it. Reno was one of those people who could smoke for five years and just quit cold turkey without another thought. The fact that he was smoking in front of her was really bad!

"I was in the bar last night. Tifa was there, of course, bartending." The man began.

'He cheated on me with Tifa!?' the woman clenched her fists.

"We talked and I came across some interesting information. Something I felt I needed to tell you." Reno lit up the cigarette.

"What?" Elena tilted her head. Now she was very confused.

"About Tseng." The man let out a puff of smoke.

"Tseng?" the woman asked, deeply interested now.

"Tifa went to Wutai. Yuffie's getting married." The man spoke with the cig in his mouth.

"Yuffie's getting married!?" Elena lunged forward, a shocked look on her face.

"Yes, ma'am." He nodded. "And you'll never guess who her husband to be is."

"…" Elena shook her head, lifting a hand.

"Tseng." Reno spat out after a minute. There was another long silence. He could tell Elena was trying to fit the pieces together.

'Tseng!? He went to Wutai on business, right? He went there…Yuffie is from there…' the woman gasped.

"WHAT!?" She screeched. "Tseng left me for that little brat!?" Elena slapped her hands against her legs.

"Now, now, that's not exactly it." Reno grabbed her hands. "It was an arranged marriage. Neither of them had a choice, which I think is Bullshit."

"No choice!? He could have said no and they'd found someone else!" Elena screamed. "Duty in Wutai!? That man!" she stood. "That man is so selfish! He cares more about his country than me!?" she stomped a foot.

"I just thought I'd let you know so you didn't always think that this whole mess was your fault." Reno stood up. "I think you should talk to him Elena. I knew Tseng would never do a thing to hurt you. He doesn't want to get married, not to Yuffie. I know he would want to be with you."

"Why didn't he tell me!? We could have talked about it, fixed it right!?" Elena paced, throwing her tantrum about the living room. "He made me think this was my entire fault! And he-…" she stopped. "Wait, what're you saying?" she turned to Reno.

"…" his back was to her. He smoked his cigarette quietly.

"He'd want to be with me?" Elena stepped forward.

'Holy shit! He is breaking up with me! All because of Tseng!' the woman gaped.

"I know he would, Elena. You two can still fix things, like you said. Talk to him. They aren't married yet." Reno said to the ceiling. He avoided looking at her.

"So…just like that?" Elena trembled. "You're giving me up to Tseng?" the woman felt her eyes stinging. Reno couldn't ignore the crack in her voice.

"Tseng loves you Elena, you know that. He would never do anything purposefully to hurt you." Reno stared at the dried mud on his boots. "You two can fix things; go back to the way it used to be."

"What if I don't want to go back?" Elena glared at his back. Her voice was barely audible.

"I'm a bachelor, Elena. I only cause trouble, would probably hurt you in the end. Like you said before, in my apartment, everything you said was a hint toward me. Why someone wouldn't date me, they are afraid of getting hurt. I'd only hurt you Lena." He took a drag. "I don't want to hurt you anymore than I'm doing right now Elena."

"…I can't believe you are doing this!" Elena hissed. "You are so caught up in Tseng's feelings! What about yours!? You can't tell me…that…"

"You'll get over me Elena. You know that. Every girl does." The man turned to her.

"So you don't care about _me_ then? What was all this then, huh!?" Elena struggled with the words, her voice breaking. "You saw me weak and vulnerable after Tseng left…was this just one of your 'ladies' games!? Another way to score for a while until you got over it and needed a new toy!?"

"That's not it!" the man shouted. He was furious. Elena jumped back. "Damn it, Elena. I'm trying to protect you! I want you to be happy! I don't want you wasting your time on me!"

"Why do you always think you're a waste of time? You think you are so tough, resilient to everything! You're the _ladies man_!" she imitated him in a low voice, not caring how much it hurt him. "You're all talk and ego, Reno. When you get close to someone you shut them out, hurt them and yourself, you become a child with no confidence in yourself! What about you? Do you not feel pain?"

"I'll be fine, Elena." The man growled. "Don't worry about me."

"Nothing can hurt you?" she asked. Her brows knitted close together.

"Nope." He nodded once. His mouth was a tight, straight line.

"Then why are you crying!?" She screamed at him. Her hand pointed at his face. She could see the embarrassment on his features as he turned from her.

He was shocked; he didn't even notice the tears on his face. He wiped them off briskly as he headed for the door. He dropped his cigarette into a class of water sitting on a small table beside the couch.

"Where are you going?" Elena folded her arms.

"Home." He muttered. Elena knew that was a lie, he was going to the bar. His hand went to the knob.

"Have fun drinking all your problems away!" Elena screeched. Reno stopped. He opened his mouth, ready to say something when he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Reno and Elena stared at the door a minute. The knock sounded once again. Reno glanced in the peep hole. He muttered a curse under his breath. Elena watched as Reno opened the door to reveal Tseng standing out in the hall. He had a flower in his hand, obviously for Elena. Tseng's eyes widened, glancing at Reno and then at Elena.

"She's all yours." Reno muttered angrily.

"Reno!" Elena screamed. He stepped to the side of Tseng and strode down the hall.

"Should I leave?" Tseng stared at Reno as he stomped down the staircase.

"No." Elena sighed. "We were just talking about you…"

"I figured…" Tseng gulped. "How'd he find out?"

"Tifa." Elena sat onto her couch in exasperation.

"Ah, Tifa…Shoulda known it would get to him soon enough. He's always at her bar." Tseng closed the door behind him. He stood awkwardly in front of it. "So I suppose you know everything then?"

"Sort of." Elena sighed again. "You can come in, Tseng."

He walked slowly toward her, handing her the flower. She gave him a small smile of thanks. "I'm terribly sorry, Elena. I should have come to you sooner. I should have never kept this a secret from you."

"I understand Tseng." Elena leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "You were protecting me, right?"

"I tried, but it didn't work out that way, did it?" the man sat straight, his hands on his knees.

"Not really." Elena smirked.

"I thought that if I hadn't told you and you thought I left you, it would keep you from having feelings for me."

"You wanted me to hate you?" She looked up.

"…I guess you could say that. I didn't want you to have feelings for me, knowing that I was getting married. I thought it would hurt even more." Tseng tried his best to explain but he was so uncomfortable.

"You didn't want me to love you when it was impossible to be with me."

"Yes." He nodded. "But then I thought that if I kept it from you, it would appear worse. There's no way I could hide that from you."

"Why couldn't you say no?" she asked him without hesitation.

"…It's my country." The man sighed. "I know it sounds bad. But really I owe my country."

"…" Elena was dumbfounded. Did he really just admit that to her? That Wutai was more important than her? It was very noble of him indeed, but Elena just wasn't one of those people. She would leave Edge and her job to be with the one she loved. "Wow…" she breathed a laugh.

"I know it sounded heartless of me, Elena. But it was the way I was raised. I do not want to get married. I don't know why I accepted. Yuffie's father insisted. It was a great honor. My job is to protect the empress and her country. I was so overwhelmed I accepted without thought. You know how I am with my work." Tseng knew this all sounded bad. He didn't want to leave Elena, but he took his duty as a citizen of Wutai seriously. He was just like his father.

"Yeah you've always put work first." Elena muttered. Then she realized. She and Tseng rarely had any fun. He was always at work, at Rufus' side. They had been on very few dates. He had to leave her in the 

middle of dinner countless times because of Wutai. He never really talked about it much, but his family seemed to hold a high place in Wutai. He was a purebred, Wutain bleeding man. He was meant for his country and his country was meant for him. Obviously he had no intentions of turning back now, his decision was made. Tseng wouldn't be happy with her, he'd be happy in his country. Elena smiled. She wouldn't be happy with a man who was willing to put her away because duty called. She wasn't one to be selfish but when it came to love, she wanted all or nothing.

"I'm very sorry Elena." Tseng did all that he could do. "I hope that you do not think any less of me. I really…" he couldn't continue. He didn't want to make things worse. Obviously Reno loved her and she loved Reno. He knew that for a fact, he and Elena were not meant to be. He was too involved in work and they did fight quite a bit, it always being his fault. He wasn't ready to settle down and he wasn't going to make Elena wait. "I only wish I could have loved you as much as Reno does."

Elena's mouth dropped. She felt bad about all this.

"I've never seen that man so happy and so gentlemanly. To see him like that with you last night, it made me realize…just how much you deserved so much more than what I had given you." The man squeezed her hand.

"You saw us last night?" Elena covered her mouth.

"Was coming to pay a visit. Saw him on your doorstep and decided to wait." The man gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry." Elena really felt awful now.

"Don't be. Everything will be fine, Elena. Don't you worry." The man sighed. "I can't seem to keep Wutai out of my life. I just hope that you are not too upset with me."

"You're a great man, Tseng. You know that." Elena smiled. She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "I don't hold any grudges. I understand completely. If it's your country you love, then you should be there no matter what."

"Thank you, Elena." The man whispered. He felt a pain in his chest. He was hoping to solve things but after seeing Reno leave like that, he just couldn't find himself capable of doing it. He wasn't going to lie, he loved Elena but deep down his country would always be first. Elena was someone he could love, but he never thought himself to be her husband. He smiled at her. "Go get Reno and kick him in the ass for me." Tseng stood.

"Maybe…" Elena frowned. "We'll see what happens."

"I'll see you around, Elena." Tseng headed for the door. "Thank you for all the memories." She smiled at him. He was such a cornball. Maybe all she really had for him was a schoolgirl crush. She loved him too, but after today, she realized she loved Reno even more.

"Good night Tseng. Take care of yourself." She leaned against the door as he stood out in the hall.

"You too." The man nodded. He turned and headed down the stairs.

Elena closed the door softly behind him. Matters weren't fixed yet; in fact they seemed even more troublesome.

"Reno, you idiot." The woman growled, grabbing her coat and keys.

* * *

"Ah! Where is he!?" Zack paced back and forth.

"Calm down! You're driving me crazy!" Cloud cursed. "Cid will be here any minute."

"Gah! I coulda ridden Hector around the entire world by now!" the man leaned forward against the window sill watching for Cid's plane.

"And you would have killed him." Tifa walked inside. "I think I can hear his engines."

"He's here!?" Zack ran outside, staring at the sky. Tifa growled in frustration, shaking her head.

"Was there room?" Cloud asked.

"Barely." Tifa rubbed her hands together. "I gave him lots of blankets and food, he'll be fine. And don't worry; your bike will be fine too."

"If that bird scratches it, he's dead." Cloud slid on his coat.

"You're a nerd, you know that?" Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry about it. I had to move some stuff but Hector fit in perfectly. He can stand, lie down and has a bit more room to move about."

"He's here!" Zack popped his head inside the door. "Come on! Come on! Co--me o--n!" he drug out.

"I'm gonna kill him if he doesn't calm his shit down." Cloud growled, stomping out into the snow.

"Aw, he's just worried about Aeris." Tifa batted her lashes. "What if it was me?"

"Tell Sephiroth to keep you." The man grumbled.

"What!?" Tifa locked the door behind her. "Strife! You best be joking!" She didn't see the smirk on his face.

Cloud was worried, worried to death in fact. He cared a lot about Aeris too, but you had to keep your cool, you couldn't panic in situations like this because that's where mistakes were made. Zack should know this, he did, he was just being his typical overexcited self, ready for action and rescuing.

They boarded the plane. Cloud and the others were surprised to see Yuffie, Vincent, Red XIII, Cait Sith, Kadaj, Shelke, and Barret on board as well.

"Barret!? Where are the kids?" Tifa asked.

"Dropped 'em off at Reeve's as soon as I heard the news. He was in the area at the time." the man pointed at the cat.

"They are safe and sound. Nuthin' to worry aboot." Cait Sith saluted.

"Almost missed Red. Saw him out running toward Gongaga. Landed the plane to tell him the news." Cid hollered to the others.

"I've uncovered some interesting news that I will explain to you. I was hoping that Aeris would be hear but seems we have important matters at hand." Red explained. "Gone through grandpa's library and found an old book stating some interesting information about the Lifestream and old Ancient rituals."

"Like what?" Zack asked, watching out the window.

"One excerpt mentioned the Ancients knew the way to eternal life. Another mentioned ritual sacrifice. I put the two together and figured there was some connection, though there is no evidence." The animal spoke.

"The Ancients are capable of staying alive forever?" Yuffie asked.

"By regeneration. You see, this is what I think. The Ancients would be sacrificed in order to be brought back by the life of the Lifestream." Red spoke quickly, very excited with his findings.

"Sacrifice?" Cloud rubbed his chin. "Aeris was a sacrifice to the planet."

"Exactly." The animal nodded.

"Then you mean, because she was murdered by Sephiroth and became a sacrifice to the plant she was able to come back!?" Yuffie couldn't believe it.

"It wouldn't have worked if she hadn't fallen through the bottom of the lake into the Lifestream." Vincent added.

"And Zack." Tifa turned to the man. "He became an Ancient after all of Hojo's experiments."

"He was murdered and thrown into the Lifestream." Red nodded.

"There's a problem." Zack spoke up. "Sephiroth and the clones. They aren't Ancients."

"That's what I got stuck on too. This could all be coincidence, the books can either be off or right on target. I'm not sure. I'll need to research some more." the animal lowered his head.

"I didn't find anything like that in Hojo's lab." Shelke thought. "It all makes sense when you think about it from Zack and Aeris' point of view, but not the others."

"How similar is our blood?" Kadaj asked. "Perhaps that's something."

"That's a good idea, Kadaj. We can look that up!" Shelke ran out into the back of the ship. "I'll look it up on the mainframe!"

"I'll come with you!" Kadaj followed.

"Those two have become good friends." Vincent stared where the two had gone.

"Jealous?" Yuffie spat.

"Should I be?" he asked. She sneered at him.

"So all we've got for sure is regeneration and sacrifice?" Cloud groaned.

"For now. We don't have any proof of any of this." Red XIII shook his head.

"It's a start." Tifa smiled. "I think it makes sense."

"We should test it." Cait Sith suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea but how the hell do we do that?" Cid asked sarcastically.

"Well…" Zack spoke up. "If anything happens to me… put me in the Lifestream." The man drew his sword.

"Don't you do anything stupid." Cloud glared.

"Do I ever?" the black haired man asked.

"All the time." the blonde nodded.

"You're a jackass, you know that?" Zack frowned. His head lifted toward the pilot. "Cid, head to the Northern Crater."

"Why the hell we goin' there?" Cid asked.

"I've got a strange feeling that's where they are." Zack stuck the tip of his sword on the ground, ready for battle. "Where else would they be?"

"Good point." Cid shrugged.

"Land before the forest. We'll go through there, then the city, and finally the crater. They've got to be somewhere around there." Zack glared at the approaching mountains in the distance.

"Full speed ahead then!" Cid yee-hawed.

* * *



Aeris carefully walked through the twisting caverns. One slip and she'd find herself falling into a dark abyss. They were leaving the City of the Ancients; soon they would come across Icicle Inn. Sephiroth cursed how slow Aeris was. He could have easily made it to the Northern Crater all himself two days ago, but because of Aeris lack of Jenova cells, she was nothing.

"You're an Ancient right? Shouldn't you be able to move faster than this?" he really didn't feel like staying in the inn. He feared Zack and the others would catch up to them in no time.

"Ancients aren't superheroes." Aeris laughed. "Besides, I'm only half of an Ancient." The woman sighed. "I wish I was full blooded." She thought of her mother and father. She missed them dearly, even though she couldn't remember much of them. She also missed her adoptive mother, Elmyra.

"If you don't hurry, I'm going to pick you up and carry you to the town." Sephiroth muttered. He was a few levels above her, obviously getting impatient.

"Do what you want, I'm not moving any faster than this!" the woman huffed.

'And Cloud thought I could be in SOLDIER!?' she giggled at the resurfacing memory. She then thought about the other man.

'I miss Zack.' She frowned. She knew it wasn't a good idea to miss that man, but she couldn't help it. Her heart was telling her otherwise.

'Zack…How can it be possible that everything I remember, all my friends, and your parents are wrong? How can you be bad? Your parents are so sweet and loving. You acted so normal around them and I. Cloud…he doesn't seem crazy. Tifa's nice. She always has been to me. Yuffie is great and so is Vincent. How can people like them all hang around with Zack, a man who's supposed to be a monster?' she shook her head. 'It just isn't right. It doesn't add up.'

The girl looked up at the never ending wall she was climbing. 'Oh Zack. I really wish you were here. I miss your jokes, your laugh, and your eyes. You can kidnap me and take me away. If you really are a monster, you can take me away as long as you never show me your scary side ever again.' She knew they were foolish thoughts, but Zack seemed perfect to her, up until that event in the forest. She sighed loudly.

'I was so sure things were going to work out alright.'

"Aeris?" A taunting voice sounded.

"Oh!" She looked up to see Sephiroth's face right in front of hers.

"Hurry it up, will you?" he asked politely.

"I'm trying." She frowned.

"Try harder…" the man retorted.



* * *

Ok…I've gotta end it here. I'm starting to lose my creativity and I don't want to give away too much yet. I absolutely love Reno and Elena. The Turks are my favorite to write about. Thanks for reading and reviewing. -Annubis


	26. Chapter 26

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews! Its great hearing from you all. And don't worry, more romance coming up along with some action for a change! These following chapters should get a lot more interesting for you all, at least I hope! Thanks for sticking with me! Lets get some Zack and Aeris in here, shall we? _**NOTE**_: Oh and…I finally got the time to go back to the first chapter of the original story and edit that confusing bastard! Lol. Sorry about that, I didn't realize how horrible that one was. –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 26**

Reno woke up to the sound of heavy pounding at his door. Another headache began to form just like it had that very morning. The redhead rolled over to stare at the clock. He sighed deeply not wanting to leave the warm confines of his bed. It was way too late, or early for that matter, for any visitors. As much as he hoped the urgent beating did not cease. Agitated, he rolled onto his back, growling.

"RENO!" a muffled cry sounded from outside.

The man froze, really not wanting to answer the door now. He knew that high pitched screech. It was Elena and boy did she not sound happy.

"Shit…" the man sat up. He shivered, taking note to turn on the heater as he passed it by in the hall.

"OPEN THE DOOR, RENO!" the woman's voice shrieked.

Reno rolled his eyes, moaning and mumbling to himself, wishing he never came back home for the night. Tifa's bar had coincidentally been closed for the day. Reno stood outside among the other angry alcoholics. He thought it strange that Tifa had a family emergency to attend, especially since she had no family. Defeated, he ventured to the liquor store, buying his own bottles to drink by his lonesome. He had stayed in his car all day and night, watching the sunset on the beach outside Edge. It was a place no one would think to look for him. Sadly, he woke up in a drunken stupor still on the beach, creatures crawling by his car looking for food. He decided it was best to make his way back home.

'Dumb idea.' The man thought bitterly as he opened the door.

"Yo." The man grumbled, leaving the door open for the woman to enter.

"Where the hell have you been!?" Elena slammed the door shut.

"The beach." He answered simply.

"The beach?" the woman folded her arms, not believing him. "You smell like alcohol, Reno."

"Yup, brought it with me. Tifa's bar was closed." He shrugged.

"I saw." The woman sighed, cooling off a bit. "I looked everywhere for you, Reno."

"Don't see why. Wouldn't Tseng get Jealous?" the man made his way to the counter, pouring the remaining liquor in his bottle into a glass.

"I can really kick your ass right now and not feel any regret over it, Reno." She growled through gritted teeth.

"I'm scared." He muttered dryly.

"What's wrong with you!?" she threw her arms down to her sides. Why was he being like this?

"You know, Elena, I'm really not all that sure." He made a face as he swallowed some of the brown liquid.

"Tseng and I aren't getting back together." She sputtered.

"…" the man tapped his fingers against the glass as he leaned against the countertop. Pale moonlight skipped across the white carpet and across his bare chest and grey, cloth, pants. "Oh?" he muttered stupidly.

"Yeah." Elena nodded. "He's going back to Wutai. He takes his work seriously."

"That's shitty." The man tilted his bottle upside down, looking for one more drop. Dissatisfied, he dropped it into the trash next to the refrigerator.

"Is that all?" Elena stared at him.

"Is it?" he asked back. He was trying to be witty, but everything he said just made him appear more of an ass.

"You know what, Reno? Maybe you were right." The woman headed for the door. "Maybe it is best I stay away from you."

"Lena…" the man sighed, his shoulders slumped.

"No! Reno, I care about you! A great deal! I'm not going to put up with this! You're the one who got yourself in this mess, not me! I decided a long time ago to let go of Tseng. I opened myself up to you! Does that mean nothing to you!?" she opened the door. "How bout this? We forget everything that's happened the last couple of weeks and move on with our lives. We'll just continue being friends, like old times."

"Elena-." he reached out to her as she opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

"Good night, Reno. See you at work in the morning." the woman hissed, her brows knitted. Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. Reno watched as she crashed the door behind her. He stood in his place, watching the door and listening as her heavy footsteps faded away.

"That didn't go well…" he huffed. The man turned toward his room, stumbling a bit. "Remind me not to drink so much the next time I get in a fight with a woman." He grumbled, collapsing onto his mattress.

* * *

Aeris shivered uncontrollably. There was so much snow outside, the most she had ever seen let alone imagined. How anyone could live here, she didn't know. Icicle Inn was a dreadfully cold place. She loved the white flakes and piles of ashen hills and mountains at first. The woman skipped cheerfully as soon as they entered the town, fully embarrassing the man beside her she was sure. She caught the flakes on her tongue and squealed in delight. Now, after standing out in the cold for a few minutes, she hated being here.

"What happened to the bubbly attitude from before?" Sephiroth glanced downward at the stiff woman curling her arms inward toward herself to keep warm.

"Cold…" she whimpered.

"You already have my jacket, you're not getting my pants as well." The man smirked. Was that a joke? Aeris twisted her lips.

"HA! Wouldn't want them anyways…Who knows how long it's been since they've been washed." Her teeth chattered.

"What?" the man glared at her.

"Nothing." She sang. "So…can't we go inside? I don't think I'll be able to last any longer out here. Aren't you cold?"

"Try not to think about how cold you are. It only makes it worse." The man said dryly. "The inn's up ahead. We'll be there in no time so stop complaining."

"Complaining!? It's negative fifty out here!" she hopped.

"Maybe if you behaved better when I visited, I would have let you have the time to grab more clothes." The man retorted.

"You picked me up and drug me to an entirely different continent!" the girl growled.

Now they were getting stares from everyone in the town. They probably weren't used to seeing a shirtless man and a woman in her nightgown wandering the streets so late at night.

"Be quiet. We don't need so much attention drawn to us." The silver haired man hissed. "You're going to cause a ruckus."

"Ruckus." The girl scoffed. "I'll show you ruckus…" her evil eyes fell to the snow.

Without hesitation she kneeled forward, packing a ball of snow in her hands. She stood up quickly, throwing the ball at the man's back. It went high, colliding with the back of his head. Sephiroth froze. The woman covered her mouth trying to hide her snickers. A loud snort sounded from her instead.

"Aeris…" the man said her name in the most horrifying tone the woman had ever heard. "Did you just snowball me?" he asked seriously. This question only sent another wave of giggles through the woman.

"No, I have no idea what you're talking about." The girl laughed. Her fingers covered her lips as she rested an elbow on her forearm.

Sephiroth spun around quickly. "Then why are you laughing!?" his voice was cold, his glare terrifying.

"I, I…" the woman was scared at first, but the scene played through her head over and over again. It was like slow motion, the ball of snow flying ever so gracefully through the air. It twisted and turned, tiny flakes drifting away from its round surface. There was a soft 'PLOP' as it collided with the backside of his head. The ball exploded into pieces, snow falling over his long hair and down his bare back. The way he looked, stiff and frozen while covered in snow, was priceless. She cackled loudly to his face, not caring if he got angry.

"…" Sephiroth was dumbfounded. This woman just laughed in his face. He was about to strangle her and leave her out in the cold for the night and all she could do was laugh at him. He couldn't remember the last time someone did that. Of all people in the world, this half breed of a human, a young, frail and helpless woman just laughed at _him_. "I was going to kill you, you know that, right?" he glared at her, bending down so his face was right in front of hers.

"I'm sure!" the woman laughed again. "What kind of jerk would get so upset over just a snowball?" the question struck the man. Why he would, of course.

"You're lucky." The man replied.

"I get to live another day?" she teased. Oh, if only she knew the truth.

"Only one more…but that doesn't mean you're off the hook."

"What…?" the girl looked at him curiously. Her eyes widened but it was too late. The man was too fast for her, there was no escape. A large pile of snow resting in the man's hands came flooding down upon the woman. "Sephiroth!" she screamed.

"You said my name!" the man cursed. He forgot to tell her never to mention his name in public.

"You jerk!" the girl gasped, feeling the icy cold soak through her nightgown. She leaned forward picking up more snow, packing it quickly. Sephiroth looked about him trying to catch any wandering eyes who 

could've overheard the woman's shouts. 'PLOP, PLOP, PLOP!' one after another he was barraged by snowballs.

"That's it!" the man shouted, snow covering his face. He chased the girl toward a snowdrift. Aeris' screams echoed in the night air. Sephiroth packed a snowball between his fingers and tossed it at the woman. He got his revenge, the ball smacking her in the head. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips at the satisfaction it gave him to hear her squeal. He must've hit her too hard; she began to topple over toward the snowdrift. Sephiroth watched as the woman spun around, grabbed his hand and took him down with her into the large pile of snow.

'POOF!' the snow closed in around them, the pile being four feet tall itself, they were completely engulfed. Aeris laid still, the man over her, his hand pressed against the ground to keep him from falling on her.

'Oops.' The woman bit her lip, her cheeks turning pink as usual.

Sephiroth's eyes were large. He wasn't used to this much personal contact. He stared at her, his mouth gaping; Aeris never seen this expression on the man before.

"Um…" the woman's eyes darted back and forth. She felt very uncomfortable.

"Shall I get off you?" the man asked awkwardly.

"Maybe." Aeris looked to the side. Sephiroth pushed up to his feet very quickly. Aeris scampered upward, not needing his help. They stood next to each other, Sephiroth scratching his head.

"There's the inn." The man pointed to the door right next to them, interrupting the silence.

* * *

The bell to the inn sounded, waking the keeper at the front desk.

"Welcome to Icicle Inn! How may I…help you…?" the man drifted into silence. He gawked at the two before him. There was a very tall man with long silver hair and a thin woman with rosy cheeks beside him. Besides the couple looking awkward together themselves, the man was shirtless and the woman was in her nightgown. Both were covered in snow.

"We need a room." The man replied.

"Yes sir. Any room you prefer?" he looked over the two before speaking again. "We do have a discount running on our honeymoon suites."

"That won't be necessary." The man spoke quickly. The young woman's eyes lit up, her face turning all the more redder. "Whichever is cheapest." The silver haired man dropped a pile of coins onto the desk.

"Room 104." The innkeeper handed the man the key.

"Are we sharing a room?" the woman asked.

"Seeming as it's all I can afford right now, yes." The man muttered quietly.

"Oh…" the girl fidgeted.

Slowly the two ascended the stairs in silence. The innkeeper watched them from his peripheral.

"What a strange couple." he shook his head. The man had seen plenty of drunken couples and newlyweds in his lifetime but out of all of them this one was the most bizarre.

* * *

Aeris tossed and turned, she just could not get herself to sleep. She thought happy thoughts, trying her best to nod off but nothing worked. Sephiroth was gone. He left some time ago to find some food. The woman was left alone to sleep in a foreign place. Of course they would share a room, Sephiroth never slept. The woman rolled her eyes, sighing heavily.

'I wonder where everyone's at. I wonder if any of them are worried.' Aeris thought to herself. 'I've been gone for a couple days. You think they noticed? Did Zack tell them? Is he still looking for me?' the girl tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable.

'I miss Tifa. I want to go shopping with her again.' The girl smiled. 'She always picked out the strangest clothes for me. I just don't have the confidence in my body like she does.'

Aeris giggled out loud to herself, her thoughts drifting from one memory to another.

'She never gets embarrassed. I remember when we ran to the grocery store with Cloud she made him pay for her tampons while she ran to the bathroom.' The girl had a large smile on her face. 'Cloud's face was so red! I never saw him so embarrassed! At least…from what I remember but I bet even if I had all my memories that face would have still been priceless!'

The woman thought about it a moment longer and then felt her heart skip a beat. 'Speaking of…how long have I been back?' the girl closed her eyes. 'It's been well over a month, maybe even two. Oh dear!' Aeris' heart officially stopped. She sat up in bed quickly.

'I know I was dead…I…don't think I've slept with anyone since I've come back.' The girl gulped, staring at her belly.

"Oh goodness!" she gasped. "Is it even possible!?" the woman held a hand against her stomach. "It couldn't be!" she felt goose bumps rise on her skin. She shivered, felt her eyes watering.

'What if I had gotten…pregnant!? What if it was before I died!? Would it be possible to regenerate myself…and a baby?' she breathed heavily.

"Oh god!" she covered her face. "Who's is it!?" she shivered.

'Now, calm down. It's nothing…you're just…late, that's all.' The woman stared at the ceiling, trying her best to hold back her sobs, there's no way she'd let Sephiroth mosey in here and see her like this.

"Not possible! You can't be!" she squealed, covering her lips with her fingertips.

'Zack's? Or Sephiroth's? Sephiroth said Zack was the one in her room that night in Nibelheim, but Zack said it was Sephiroth. I don't know who to believe! I don't remember anything. If what Sephiroth said was true…and we were together, who knows what we could have done! But…Zack… if everything he says is true, then it's gotta be Sephiroth's.'

"Unless he and I did something too." She whimpered. "Oh…shit!" she cursed in a high pitched voice.

'Planet…talk to me! What should I do!?' the woman leaned forward, cupping her face in her hands.

* * *

Elena marched down the hallway. She fussed with the single bill in her hands, trying to straighten it out the best she could. She was running late and was dying for some chocolate. She rounded the hall, heading for the vending machine. The sight before her made her cringe. Reno was nearby, talking to Rude.

'No matter. I'll make this fast. Get the sugar and leave before he sees me.' The woman rushed to the machine. She inserted the bill into the slot of the machine. It sucked it in with a whir. She was ready to push the buttons when the machine spewed out the bill once again.

'Oh you son of a…' she gritted her teeth, pulling the money from the machine. Elena grabbed the thin piece of paper by both sides and rubbed it back and forth across the edge of the machine trying to smooth it out. She tried again, but to no avail. The blonde ritualistically pulled the bill from the slot and reinserted it.

'Slap!'

Elena froze. She was sure she was just smacked on the rear end.

"How's it goin' Elena?" Reno's slithering voice asked.

'How dare he?!' the woman was ready to smack him but decided two could play this game.

"Fine. How are you this morning, Reno? Sleep well?" she asked nonchalantly. Her bill finally slipped into the machine and stayed there. She punched the buttons on the machine.

"Ah, yes. But it would have been better if I was next to another body." He leaned against the machine. Elena hated how smug he was. He was trying to piss her off. Elena's breakfast dropped to the bottom of the machine.

"Hm." She shrugged. "Slept better than I have in weeks. Barely was able to get myself out of bed." Elena bent down, grabbing her pack of chocolate donuts from the machine. She opened the package quickly, shoving one of the small frosted covered dough rings into her mouth.

"Those look good." Reno chuckled at her growl of hunger.

"Want some?" the woman asked. She held out the package.

Reno pushed away from the vending machine. "Sure."

He grabbed the hand clutching the package and pushed it away. Slowly, he grabbed her waist and pulled her against him as he leaned forward to kiss her. Elena didn't push away. Instead, she kissed him back. Reno deepened the kiss, running a hand down the woman's back. She pressed herself up against him further.

"Taste's good." The man smirked in between breathes.

Elena dropped the food, letting both hands go to the man's fiery red hair. He moved backwards bringing her with him, their kisses never ending. Her hands moved to the man's tie, she loosened it more than what it was to begin with. His hands went to her dress coat, pulling it down over her shoulders.

'Door.' Reno smiled as he fiddled with the knob behind him. Elena pressed further against him, the door flying open. The two stumbled into the unknown room.

"Reno." Elena gasped as he spun her around and pushed her against a wooden desk. She fell back onto it, pulling the man down with her by his tie. Random items such as pencils, paper, and a cup of coffee spilled to the ground.

Elena wrapped her leg around the man. He quickly pulled at the sleeves of his jacket. They breathed heavily between kisses. Soft moans escaping their lips.

"Ahem." That was a new sound. Elena and Reno froze. Slowly their heads turned to the side to find Rufus sitting at the very desk they were sprawled upon. Tseng stood beside the man, wide eyed.

"Sir!" Elena sputtered.

"Oh shit!" Reno pushed himself off the woman and stood at attention.

"Uh, I…we…um…" Elena tried to explain, but nothing sounded good enough.

'Yup, it's exactly as it looks, sir. We were about to have sex on your desk!' Elena felt as if she were going to die. Just then Rude entered the scene. He paused a moment looking at the disheveled couple.

"Did I miss something?" the bald man raised a brow.

"I have a mission for all of you." Rufus shook his head, not caring what Elena and Reno's excuses were.

"Sir!" Reno, Elena, and Rude sounded.

"Tseng…" Rufus looked back.

"There seems to have been numerous sightings of a man with long silver hair. He has been seen with a woman. She has not been identified yet." Tseng spoke expertly. He eyeballed Elena momentarily, a smile on his face. "Our mission is to investigate the areas where they've been spotted. The most recent reported location is Great Glacier. We'll head out at 0900 hours."

"Dismissed." Rufus muttered. He leaned forward with his forehead in his hand. The three quickly rushed out of the room, Rude questioning to Elena and Reno what the hell they were doing.

"…" Tseng and Rufus stood in awkward silence.

"What do you suppose we do with those two?" Rufus sighed.

"Give them a long vacation." Tseng suggested.

* * *

Elmyra Gainsborough dusted the TV set next to the front door of her small cottage. She jumped slightly at the sudden knock on her door.

'Wonder who that could be?' the woman pulled open the wooden door to her home. She rarely got visitors, no longer having any family and very few friends.

"Mrs. Gainsborough?" A man was standing on her front step. He had slicked back dark hair and a well groomed beard and mustache. He had a long jacket and a gentle smile.

"Yes?" the woman asked. She opened the door further, he looked kind enough.

"Hello, my name is Reeve." The man held out a hand.

"Afternoon, Reeve." The woman shook it carefully. "What can I do for you?"

"Mrs. Gainsborough." The man cleared his throat. "I have some information for you that I believe you may have an interest in. I only ask that you keep an open mind about it."

"Why, I have no idea what kind of information you'd have, but please come in. You must, now that you have me so curious." The woman beamed. "Let me get some tea."

"Much obliged, ma'am." Reeve nodded. He took a deep breath, trying to find the best approach to tell Mrs. Gainsborough the news.

'It may not be a good idea to beat around the bush. I may as well just get to the point, though that may make it even more shocking to her. She may even throw me out.' The man thought to himself, staring at the bare walls. There were no memories hanging on the walls, like he would have thought. He remembered that Elmyra had left everything back in the small pink house in Midgar. He scratched his beard; this certainly was going to be tough.

"You may sit, if you wish." Elmyra's voice sounded.

"Thank you." Reeve sat down next to the woman in a flower patterned chair. He leaned forward, taking his tea into his hands. He sipped it slowly in horrible silence. Elmyra pulled on her hands; he noticed this as a nervous habit that Aeris shared.

"Now." The man set down the porcelain cup. "I did not come here to jest you. What I have to say is truth and nothing more. I have some evidence, which now may seem very poor to you, but I ask you bear with me."

"What on earth's going on?" the woman asked, giving a small laugh.

"I'll just get to the point, shall I?" the man straightened up. "Mrs. Gainsborough, I have both some good news and bad news."

"Okay…" the woman said slowly.

"The good news is: You're daughter, Aeris, is alive and well." He did not hesitate. "The bad news is: Sephiroth has her. I currently have people looking for her."

He was not ready for Elmyra's response.

"Take me with you."

* * *

"Barret! Get off the phone!" Tifa hollered.

"Who are you talking to?" Yuffie hopped up and down.

"None yo business." Barret said quickly as he shoved his phone into his pocket.

"Aw come on. Tell us, Barret." Vincent stepped over a dead tree in his path.

"You mocking me?" Barret raised his chin.

"Why would I do something like that?" the red eyed gentleman replied.

"Barret's got a girlfriend!" Yuffie poked the large man's shoulder.

"Shut up or I'll make you shut up." The man pointed his robotic arm at the girl.

"How long have you known this woman?" Tifa asked.

"…" Barret looked about him. "Met her at the Golden Saucer. Had to reschedule one of our dates…"

"What!?" Tifa asked, amazed. "What's with you guys pickin' up chicks while babysitting the kids!?"

"Perhaps I should watch the kids more often." Vincent added.

"Hey!" Yuffie placed her hands on her hips.

"Vincent, I think you'd just scare all the girls away." Zack fastened the buttons on his pea coat. He watched the drop off near his feet. One slip and he'd find himself sliding the rest of his way to the Gaea Cliffs. Which seemed easier, but you'd be lucky to make it out of the trip alive.

"The girls dig my red eyes." The golden armed man stated.

"I bet that claws a hit with 'em too." Cid scoffed.

"Sure is." Vincent said monotonously. "These hands can do wonders."

"Ugh! Vincent!" Tifa rolled her eyes. "What's gotten into you?"

"Been hangin' 'round Yuffie too long." Barret smirked.

"I happen to think I'm a positive influence on the man." Yuffie nodded.

"I don't think I want to hear anything like that come from his mouth ever again." Cloud shivered. "Bad mental picture."

"Can I not act in sexual activities?" Vincent raised a brow.

"Ah! Enough!" Tifa covered her ears.

"What are we talking about?" Shelke asked.

"Grownup talk." Kadaj patted her head.

"I'm gonna cut that hand off if it doesn't remove itself." The girl hissed. Kadaj quickly placed his hand back down to his side.

"I think we have more important things to talk about." Red XIII shook his head, his mane brushing away the snowflakes on his ears.

"Like what?" Yuffie grinned.

"Like that monster up there." Zack pointed.

"Monster!?" the ninja girl spun around, looking up at the top of a nearby mountain.

Atop the snowy peak was a catlike beast. It had long whiskers and in between them were sparks of electricity forming a ball of energy most likely to be thrown at the group.

"Look out!" Shelke hollered and the ball came colliding with the snow at the base of the mountain.

"It missed…Missed real bad." Cait Sith stared at the hole in the snow a few hundred feet before them.

"No!" Cloud yelled. "It hit its target! Everybody, MOVE!" the blonde scampered to the side.

There was a loud crack and the snow exploded before them, creating an avalanche. The snow lifted like a giant wave, pushing toward them at incredible speeds. The ground shook violently beneath their feet.

"Crap!" Zack stumbled for his footing. The gap beside him was looking much friendlier than the hundred foot wave of snow.

"Zack!" Cloud shouted over the roar of the snowfall. It was too late; Zack was falling backward into the fissure beside him.

"Cloud!" Tifa shouted, hiding behind a large boulder. It was very little protection; but they had to take their chances. Cloud rushed toward the rock. He leapt, snow crashing into his legs. Tifa's hand wrapped around Cloud's tugging him toward her. The group huddled together trying to scrunch themselves up against the boulder as much as possible to avoid the spill. "Where's Zack!?" the woman hollered.

"Fell!" the man shouted back.

"Will he be okay?" She asked.

"Zack? He'll be fine." The blonde scoffed. 'That guy can live through anything.'

* * *

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow!" Zack slid down the terrain, hitting what seemed like every tree and rock on the way down. His large sword provided a lot of protection for his back as he slammed into boulder after boulder.

He slid to his feet, snow pushing against his boots like tiny waves. The snow splashed outwards as he continued his way down the path. His hand went to his sword. He steadied himself as he drew it and dropped it to the ground before him.

"Yee-haw!" the man drawled, jumping onto his weapon, using it as a snowboard.

Sparks flew toward his face as he skated over the tiny rocks. The brisk air rushed past him ruffling up his hair. His face felt frozen. The Ex-SOLDIER leaned to the side, a gloved hand digging into the snow as he turned sharply toward the approaching cliffs. He'd certainly get to the Gaea Cliffs faster than the others going this route. He only hoped they were alright and healthy enough to continue the trek.

"Look out!" Zack waved his arms over his head, warning some creatures that stood in the way. Zolkaters and Headbombers dashed out of the way as Zack skidded between the animals. He hooted and cheered as he scraped past more of the dangerous animals, some trying to attack him as he went by.

"Ha! Missed!" the man jeered. "Take more than that to take me down!"

Famous last words.

"AH!" the man felt his 'snowboard' suddenly stop beneath his feet. Zack kept moving forward, however. He flew through the air approximately fifteen feet before meeting the ground with his face and sliding another ten.

"What…the…hell?" the man groaned. He quickly got to his feet, brushing himself off.

"What!? What was that!?" he screamed at the sky. "Real funny!" he growled, stomping toward his sword.

He stared at the tip of it, lodged into a sprouting tree root. It had been covered with ice and snow until Zack shoveled into it. The man got to his hands and knees, glaring at the tiny root.

"You…bastard!" the man growled, pointing a fingertip at the plant.

Frustrated, he got back to his feet, lifting his sword up with him. He sheathed it in his traditional style, spinning it a few times to remove the snow and grime.

"Make me look like an idiot…" he grumbled, stomping toward the cliff before him. He looked up and let out an exasperated sigh.

Sure he made it there quicker, but after that steep decline, he'd have to climb a lot more cliffs.

"Just my luck…" the man grumped as he grabbed hold of one icy ledge and hoisted himself up.

This was going to take a while. He decided to make the most out of his freezing journey, and started to sing a little ditty. It was something his mom always played on the piano during the holidays. After a few hundred yards of climbing the man decided to make his own lyrics to the song, lyrics about his journey and how much he hated snow, ice, and tree roots. A few ledges further and he'd add cliffs to the list.

* * *

'It's cold…' Aeris whimpered. 'It's cold, I'm wet, I'm hungry, and tired.' She struggled to keep up with the man strolling a few meters before her.

'I can leave. I can run away, go back to Icicle Inn.' The woman wanted to collapse. She stared at the man's back as he pushed on further, leaving her behind. 'I can leave now. I could run as fast as I can.'

She stared at her red hands, defeated. 'There's no way I'd make it back before dark. I'd surely freeze to death if I was even capable of getting away. Sephiroth would find me for sure. He'd probably be very angry with me.'

She watched her boots, not aware that she had slowed down greatly and was now alone. There was a fork in one of the tunnels, Sephiroth going to the left and Aeris the right. The woman had no clue she was lost and separated from the man. She felt herself leaning forward.

'Am I going downhill?' she looked up. Sephiroth was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh!" she gasped, looking back and forth. How long had she traveled unaware that he was gone? She saw a pale light before her. "Maybe that's the crater." She whispered to herself.

Aeris walked into the opening, leaving the tunnel. There was a cutoff next to her, dropping hundreds of feet. The sight of it gave her chills. She saw that there was a dead end up ahead, but it looked like it may tunnel and branch off to the right again a further ways down. Across the dark cavern was a way out.

'Perhaps I need to get over there.' She edged closer to the drop off, her boots kicking down tiny pebbles and dust. She swallowed. It was way too far of a jump for her. She wouldn't even make it halfway across. She stared at the darkness beneath her.

"Aeris?" a familiar voice called.

Aeris looked up. Across the gap near the exit was Zack. His black hair looked like ash, covered in snow. His blue eyes glowed brightly in the darkness of the cave. His sword was sheathed on his back. His mouth was slightly open, fog pouring out of it with every breath.

"My god! Aeris!" the man shouted. "What…what are you doing here?" he asked her.

Aeris shied away, backing into the branching tunnel she had not investigated yet.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" the man asked. He made his way to the ledge and stuck out a hand.

"W, why would he hurt me?" the girl asked.

"What?" Zack dropped his hand. He looked at her incredulously. "It's Sephiroth! He took you…" he looked back and forth for the silver haired man. "Right?"

"Shouldn't you already know that?" the woman held her hands against her chest protectively.

'Why is he acting like this? He knows I'm with Sephiroth. He tried to attack me.' The woman was severely confused.

"Aeris, what are you talking about?" the man watched her carefully. She was acting strangely. "What's wrong? Why are you scared of me?"

"You lied to me! You betrayed me, attacked me!" the woman took another step away.

"What!?" Zack couldn't believe it. He worked so hard to gain her trust and now she was more scared of him than the day she first met him after she got amnesia.

"In, in the sleeping forest. You attacked me…" the woman's voice cracked. She was scared; she didn't know what to do with herself. She stumbled over something behind her.

"I…attacked you?" the man thought a moment. He watched her, that's when he noticed something behind her. Large yellow eyes glared out of the darkness. Zack felt every muscle in his body tense.

'Oh shit!' the man licked his lips, reaching out to her again.

"Aeris! It wasn't me! It had to have been Sephiroth! He's always playing mind games with us! You've got to believe me!" the man tried to convince her. Aeris stared at his worried face.

"Why do you look so scared?" she whispered, now doubly frightened.

"Aeris, babe…you've got to believe me on this one." He said in a shaky voice.

"How can I trust a man who says one thing and Sephiroth says the opposite? I remember one thing and the next day it's completely turned around." The girl ranted.

"Aeris, we'll talk about it later. Just get over here!" the man was almost crouching on the ground, he looked so nervous. He rolled up his sleeves. He wasn't looking at her, but behind her.

"What…?" the woman was about to question him when she noticed some golden bracelets on his wrist. They were hers. He had given them to her as a gift. If that wasn't true then why would he be wearing them? "You're wearing them…" she began walking forward.

"Huh?" he met her eyes.

"My bracelets." The girl pointed at his arm.

"Oh, yeah." The man smirked. "Don't move!" his face suddenly very grave.

"What?" the woman stopped walking forward, she felt her boot nudge something.

A low growl sounded from behind her. She saw Zack cringe at the sound. Suddenly, something wrapped around her leg.

"Aeris! Run!" the man stood. "Get over here!"

"What is that!?" the woman hopped forward, almost throwing herself over the edge of the cliff. She turned to see a large beast with long, curved horns stand from its place on the ground. "B, Behemoth!" the girl gasped.

"Get over here!" the man hopped up and down, waving his hands. "Jump!"

"I can't!"

"You can! Just do it!"

"No!" she stumbled away from the creature, frightened.

"Now! Or you're food!" the dark haired man stuck his sword into the side of the rocky ledge. He walked onto it like a plank, his arm reaching out to her.

"Zack!" Aeris yelled in a pleading voice. "Help me!" she turned to him.

"Jump! I'll catch you!" the man watched as the behemoth crawled closer and closer to her. "I promise!"

"I'll fall!" she sobbed.

"YOU WON'T! Damn it, Aeris! Just do it!" the man stomped his foot, begging to her.

Aeris saw the worried look in his sapphire eyes. She looked at the monster, could see it opening its mouth to eat her and then looked back at Zack. Her feet moved without her awareness. She was running, faster than she ever ran in her life. She reached the ledge and jumped.

"Zack!" the woman screamed.

As stupid as the beast was, it jumped after her. Zack lunged forward, grabbing her hands. In midair he pulled her against him, one arm snaking around her waist. The other lifted to grab the hilt of his sword. The monster fell slowly, mouth open. Strands of drool flowed from its fangs as it bit for the woman. Zack twisted, swinging Aeris and himself upward. He wrapped his legs around his sword. The cutting edge dug into his calf, drawing blood. He paid no attention to the pain. The beast's mouth was only inches away from his back, Aeris being sandwiched between him and the sword now. Zack pulled, swinging himself up to his feet onto the enormous blade. He carried Aeris the entire time. She was clutching his shirt for dear life. The man regained his balance, watching the creature fall into the dark abyss. He stepped backward, returning to the solid rocky surface. Aeris whimpered, holding onto him.

"Are you alright?" the man asked in a low voice. His breath was warm across her ear. She nodded quickly releasing her grip. She stepped away from him, not meeting his eyes. "Aeris…what all has Sephiroth told you?"

"He…told me about the night in Nibelheim." She sniffled. There was a long silence.

"What about it?" Zack felt his blood begin to boil.

"Said it was you who did it." she looked up at him with teary eyes. "He said you used confuse materia on me to make me believe it was Sephiroth who had done it! Is that true!?" She looked dreadfully worn out. Zack hadn't seen her so distraught in years.

"No!" Zack yelled loudly. His jaw was clenched and his eyes narrow. He gripped his hair in frustration. "Why the hell would I do that!?" the man punched the wall next to him, sending a crack down the surface. "He's just messing with your head. Now that he knows you have amnesia he'll stop at nothing to get you on his side."

"…I don't know who to believe." The woman bit her lip.

"You really don't know who to believe?" the man asked, sighing in defeat.

"I know who I want to believe." Aeris looked up at him. "You. I want to believe you. I want you to be right; I just don't know how to prove that to myself."

"Well…" the man rubbed the back of his head. "Is there something Ancients can do? I mean…don't they have some sort of special connection?" He was fishing in the dark, but he may as well ask.

"Connection?" Aeris looked up at him, hope in her eyes. "Actually, now that you mention it, there was something my mother used to do with me. It's funny. I never thought anything of it, till now."

"What was it?" Zack asked eagerly.

"She would tell me to do things, like clean my room, and whenever I forgot, instead of yelling or asking me again, she would put our hands together. All she'd do was stand there, her eyes closed." The woman stared at her palm. "Never thought it was strange. It was something we did all the time. Whenever she did that I would suddenly remember what it was I was supposed to do. If mom lost something she always said I could help her remember where it was. She said it was our game. That no one else in the world could play it."

"…" Zack grabbed the woman's hand, scaring her. He pressed his palm against hers, his mouth open. His blue eyes stared into hers. "I'm going to make you remember me, Aeris. I made a promise that I could make you remember everything. I don't know if this will work or not, but I'll try my best to make you remember that night in Nibelheim the way it really happened. If I can't I ask that you trust me in the meantime. I'd never hurt you. You know that, right? Deep down?" he stared at her, his eyes shining with hope.

Aeris nodded slowly.

"Ok." The man took a deep breath. He closed his eyes, concentrating. Him being an Ancient now, he should be able to play this game, whatever it was, with Aeris. He wouldn't be able to make her remember the night exactly because he wasn't there with her when it happened, but he could make her remember the conversation they had the next day. He hoped she could pick up the rest of the pieces on her own.

Aeris closed her eyes, trying to open her mind to him. She saw an image of the hotel, her and her friends laughing and having a conversation with each other. She remembered tiny bits and pieces of the night, some her own memories. She was talking to Cloud out by the well in the center of town. She came in to find Zack and Tifa sharing a kiss. She fought with him and marched up to her room. The next few memories were a blur. She remembered Zack coming in her room and kissing her. Then it was morning. She awoke to find a black leather glove next to her head, a reminder. It sent her to tears and screams. She had only allowed Tifa in the room to talk to her. There she proceeded to remember every bit of the conversation, telling Tifa that Sephiroth had come into her room in the middle of the night and had done something terrible. She remembered how angry Zack was when she finally told him the story. She felt horrible, not being able to control herself as Sephiroth held the yellow materia up to her face. Aeris felt tears fall at the resurfacing memories. Bits and pieces began to scramble into her: Zack dying before her in the northern crater, the two of them in her church, their first kiss, the pink ribbon in her hair, the bracelets, their letters, the pain she felt when she heard his voice call out to her from the Lifestream for the first time, and the last night they shared together in her bed before they were both slain by Sephiroth's sword.

'Zack was right. I remember these things. I remember them all!' the girl opened her eyes. Zack was still concentrating, both hands placed on hers. He wasn't holding any materia. 'We…slept together.'

"That's tiring." The man panted, tearing the woman out of her thoughts.

"Zack!" Aeris wrapped her arms around the man's neck. "I missed you so much!"

"It worked?" he asked, his voice high in anticipation.

"Yeah! A little…" the woman giggled. She didn't care anymore. Her heart was screaming at her to hang onto to him and that's what she did. "I knew you couldn't have been the one in the forest. It just couldn't be true! You're so gentle, nice, and caring. You…" she stopped talking.

Aeris stared at the man. She admired the black spikes of his hair, the ethereal glow of his eyes, and the charming look of his parted lips, the small scar lining his chiseled jaw, and the look all together joining the warmth of his navy pea coat. A small breath of fog escaped the man's lips. His gaze was on her, watching her. It was a look she had always dreamed of, one of love and care.

"I was afraid I'd lost you forever." His voice was barely audible.

Aeris cupped the man's face, smiling. She kissed him, pressing her lips against his, craving the sense of security and safety. Zack's arms wrapped around her eagerly pulling her into him. He was so warm. She let her arms wrap around his chest. Zack deepened the kiss, a thumb rubbing against her lower lip and chin. His other hand remained at the small of her back never planning to leave that spot. He looked down at her, seeing the tears falling from her closed eyes. His thumb went to the corner of her eyelids, brushing away the tears.

"Everything will be fine." He whispered to her, holding onto her.

"I missed you. I missed you so much!" the woman gasped for air. "I…I was afraid Sephiroth was right. I couldn't live with the thought. I knew I shouldn't have believed him…I-."

"I understand." Zack kissed her forehead softly. "But we need to go. I got separated from the others. I'm sure they are around here somewhere." He looked from side to side.

"The other's are here?" the woman asked gleefully.

"Yeah." His smile faded into a frown, suddenly looking severe. "Where's Sephiroth?"

"…I don't know. I got…sep…" Aeris' gaze fell to the background. Her face held a look of fear. Zack knew what that meant.

"Right here." A chilling voice sounded beside Zack's ear.

There was no time to react. Zack was pulled away from Aeris. A long, sharp blade was pressed against his throat, drawing blood. Aeris screamed.

"Aeris? What are you doing with this man? I thought I told you he was trouble?" Sephiroth asked, never looking at the woman. Instead he stared at the crimson blood dripping down the length of his sword.

Zack grit his teeth, hands around Sephiroth's arm. He stumbled as Sephiroth pulled the man back toward the exit. There was so much hate in the man's face. Aeris could not believe it was the same man who had been with her the past couple days.

"Now…let's see. What to do with you?" the silver haired man whispered, lips against Zack's ear.

Zack grunted, trying to free himself, but with each attempt he was met with the blade cutting him deeper. He gasped for air. Sephiroth smiled at the suffering sounds that came from the other man's lips. It soothed the ache of jealousy that raged within the ex-general's soul after seeing Zack with Aeris once again.

"Zack!" Aeris screamed. "Sephiroth, let him go!"

"Let him go?" the man mused. "What an idea!"

"Aeris! Get…back!" Zack struggled to speak. The woman did as she was told, running around the corner watching them from afar.

"What an idea, indeed!" with that said, he removed the sword from Zack's throat and his hold on the man.

Zack fell forward, gasping for air. Sephiroth lunged onward, grabbing Zack's collar. He pulled the man, running. In one swift movement he shoved Zack over the face of the cliff into the darkness where the behemoth had fallen earlier before.

"ZACK!" Aeris screamed.

There was a quick shout from the black haired man, echoing, as he was shoved over the opening. He was in midair his arms and legs peddling. The rest of the fall was in dead silence. Time seemed to freeze. Aeris could not believe her eyes. She watched in horror as Sephiroth clapped his hands together, chuckling. He looked over at the woman.

"What?" he simply asked. "What's that look for?"

"You…" she shuddered. "You…killed Zack."

"He had it coming." The man shrugged.

"Zack! ZACK!" Aeris scrambled to the side of the cliff, screaming at the darkness.

"On your feet." Sephiroth muttered, lifting the screaming woman off the ground. He leapt with her over the gap and dragged her slowly across the rock ground into the tunnel where the behemoth previously slept.

Aeris' screams echoed throughout the cave.

* * *

Well this chapter was a lot longer than I had planned (Holy crap! Second longest in this story. 20 pages!), but I had to get some Zack and Aeris in there and I just couldn't stop it before this scene. I'm horrible, I know. Why do I torture the man so much? Oh Zack, I love you, I really do. And I just couldn't stop laughing during the Reno/Elena work scene! That scenes dedicated to the great El Brento. Had to change a few parts to make it fit in better. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Lots more action and romance coming up! -Annubis


	27. Chapter 27

Happy new year everybody! Time for me to post a new chapter! Thanks to all of those who read and reviewed last week, I love to hear from you all! Well nothing much else to say, ill just get to the main reason you all are on here today: to read! Sorry if it's late in my posting, I have many distractions today and last night. –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 27**

Aeris was stunned; she couldn't believe what just happened. She was frozen, stuck in the arms of Sephiroth who had her slung over his shoulder. Her hair was a tangled mess, hiding her vision of the dark cave surrounding her. She stared straight ahead though, as if she could see through the walls, could see where she had previously been with Zack. They were so close to salvation to running away and never returning. Aeris was in his arms, happy and slowly remembering her past and out of nowhere Sephiroth had to come along and ruin it all. The scene played repeatedly in her head: the look on Zack's face just before the Masamune was brought to his throat and he was dragged away from the woman, the blood trickling down the blade, the look of pain in his eyes as he struggled to get away from the silver haired man's grasp, his warning to her, her calls out to Sephiroth and the evil man doing just as she said. He sure did let Zack go, and he let him fall into the dark depths below the cliffs.

'It's all my fault. I gave the man the idea!' Aeris screamed silently to herself.

She thought of the quick relief she felt when Sephiroth finally let the man go, it dissipating quickly as he grabbed the young man by the collar of his jacket. The next events were too quick to register. Sephiroth drug Zack over the ledge, throwing him. The dark haired man looked pitiful as he flailed in the air trying his best to save himself. She cringed, remembering the look of terror on his face and the quick shout of surprise that escaped his throat. And then all was silent. There was no more Zack, no more cheerful jokes and laughs, only silence. She was alone with Sephiroth all over again. And she couldn't help but think it was her fault.

"What's wrong Aeris? You seem quieter than usual." Sephiroth was met by a reply of a tiny sniffle. He frowned. "Don't tell me you are saddened by my actions." The man gave a half smile.

"…" the woman remained silent. She clenched her fists, grabbing the silken strands of his long hair.

"It was for your own good, you know that? I was only trying to protect you, Aeris." The man stared ahead, awaiting his destination. He spoke as if he was right in his actions and there was a true good purpose for them.

"He was too…" the woman replied bitterly, her voice quiet and scratchy.

"…What was that?" he asked. He wasn't exactly sure what had happened between the two of them, he arrived a bit too late to find Aeris attached to the other man's lips. The thought still angered him.

"What you did was the most monstrous thing I've ever seen." She choked on her words.

"I'm not a monster!" the man dropped her to the ground. "Those humans are! You know that they killed your race and yet after all that you still cling onto them like they are your god, like they are your friends who care for you!" the man raged. The woman sat on the ground, her arms around her knees. She refused to look up at Sephiroth. "Aeris! Look at me! You are coming with me and that's final! I will stop any obstructions that get in our way; even if that means eliminating you're so called friends!" he felt a bit of panic beginning to rise. Aeris was upset with him; she was starting to hate him. He didn't want this; it was going to ruin his plan! "I need you, in order to _save_ the planet, Aeris!"

"I don't know why you need me…" the woman sighed.

"I need you to operate this materia!" the man showed the woman the materia her mother had given to her. "I can't do it, no one can! Only you."

"No." the girl stood to her feet. "I'll save the planet my own way; you do it your way. Leave me alone." She shoved past the man, walking back to where they came from.

"Where are you going!?" he clenched his gloved fists.

"I need some time to be alone!" the girl screeched. "Just let me be!"

'Perhaps it's best I do so…' Sephiroth thought a moment. He did just throw the love of her life over the side of a cliff. It was a bit harsh.

"You'll return to me?" the man asked quietly.

"…" Aeris stopped. She was silent for a few minutes. "Yes." She replied quickly and moved on.

'She's going back to the boy. She's going to make sure he's alright.' Sephiroth frowned. He knew he made a mistake leaving the scene too quickly. 'I'll have to keep a close eye on her.'

* * *

"Everyone alright!?" Cloud hollered over the piling snow. There were a few muffled replies.

The blue eyed man glanced upward. The landslide had formed around them like a cocoon, the boulder providing just the right amount of protection to cover them all.

"How are we getting outta here?" Yuffie whined.

"Vincent, why don't you use that claw of yer's and burrow us a way out." Cid poked the clawed man in the shoulder.

"I'll pretend you didn't say that…" Vincent replied coldly.

"What if we used our fire materia?" Barret suggested.

"I don't think that would be a good idea. You melt any of that above us and it'll loosen up and come crashing down on us." Shelke advised. "And if we get wet from the melted snow it'll only make matters worse in these extreme temperatures."

"I agree." Red XIII nodded. "We may be stuck doing just as Cid suggested."

"See? I'm smarter than I look." Cid drawled.

"I suppose…we should start digging then?" Cloud pulled his sword down from over his shoulder.

"You with weapons are so lucky…" Tifa stared at her hands. "I'm gonna get frost bite…"

* * *

Sparks flew in every direction as Zack tugged his sword downward to slow himself down. Sephiroth, luckily, had not seen that Zack's sword was still dug into the face of the cliff since Aeris' rescue from the giant behemoth. Zack had positioned himself just enough to grab the sword as he fell downward from the attack. Watching the approaching darkness widen and engulf him, he gnashed his teeth, waiting for the hard unseen ground to crash into him.

* * *

"Zack!" Aeris screamed silently. She looked back and forth trying her best to find the man who had fallen. She was down in the lower levels. It proved much more difficult than expected; she tried her best to find her way by going through all the tunnels that went downhill.

"Zack! Where are you!?" the woman called out, hoping to god that the man was alright.

She turned around the corner slowly, feeling a great chilly breeze. She shivered, it not being caused by the wind but by the sight before her. On the ground ahead of her lay Zack. His body was broken and limp, blood escaping from unseen wounds. His coat was battered and torn. His face was bruised and scratched but underneath all that his expression was still peaceful. His lids were lightly closed, his lips slightly parted. His hair was disheveled and his hands lay at rest, one by his head and the other at his hip. If it wasn't for the broken bones she would have sworn he was sleeping.

"Oh, Zack!" her hands covered her mouth. She dropped to the floor, sobbing.

"I'm so sorry!" Aeris squeaked. She closed her eyes, no longer able to look at the man. "Please forgive me!" she trembled.

'It wasn't supposed to be this way! I didn't want this! I just wanted to remember my past. I just wanted to live a happy life.' the Cetra covered her ears. Tears dripped down her face, plopping onto the ground.

"My materia!" the woman opened her eyes. She could heal the man if she had her materia that is if it wasn't already too late. It was something she would try, even if it appeared the man was already dead.

Aeris stared at the corpse before her. She had to know. Her hands gently touched his hand. It was colder than ice. She bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears. She entwined her fingers with his, wanting more than anything for them to move. She rubbed the backside of his hand upward past his wrist and forearm. She pulled away quickly, realizing something. She raised the sleeve of his jacket of both arms. They were bare and cold like every other part of his body. The girl gasped and rose to her feet.

'This isn't Zack…' she tried her best to regain her composure. She cleared her throat, understanding exactly what was going on.

"I'm going to find Sephiroth, Zack. I'm sure he's back where I left him. He has my materia…I'll be back." The woman stepped away slowly, never tearing her gaze away from the man on the ground.

When she was close enough to the corner leading to the tunnels she turned and sprinted up the hills. 'Gotta make it back before he does!' the girl panted, trying to make her way back up to where her and Zack were before he fell.

The body lay on the cold floor. Everything was silent, Aeris out of sight. Green eyes opened. The face glared at the darkness around him.

"What are you up to, Aeris?" the man whispered coolly.

He lifted to a sitting position, popping his joints back into place. A yellow materia twirled in his fingertips. Zack Fair's image sat silently in the dark, an arm draped over a knee. Glowing green eyes stared off into space as he thought of his next plan. The man rose to his feet, his black hair growing longer as the seconds ticked by eventually turning into pale silver.

* * *

"How much longer?" Elena mumbled into her headset.

"Only another hour." Tseng replied. "Try to keep yourself occupied on the mission. Think of the strategy and prepare yourself."

"Easy for you to say." The girl grunted. She double checked her weapon for the eightieth time since they boarded the copter.

"Elena you're driving us crazy. Calm down." Reno squeezed the bridge of his nose. "We'll be in the action soon enough; try not to worry so much about it. You gotta keep a level head about things."

"Reno…I've been in this academy long enough, I know how to handle myself." The girl glared at the redhead, reloading her weapon again.

"I think we should go over the mission again." Rude suggested.

"Why!? We've already gone over it a hundred times." Reno rolled his eyes.

"To keep your minds busy." Rude folded his arms.

"Yeah, yeah…whatever." The redhead huffed.

* * *

Zack hoisted himself upward. One by one his hands gripped the top surface of the cliff. He felt the rocks beneath one of his feet slide out.

'Damn!' the man grunted.

Two hands wrapped around an arm helping him regain his balance. Alarmed, Zack looked upward. He wasn't expecting anyone to be waiting for him atop the cliff. His blue eyes were matched by the gaze of emerald.

"That was a close one." A cheerful voice sounded.

"Aeris?" he asked curiously.

"Wouldn't want you to fall all over again." The young woman giggled. She tugged on his arm, trying her best to help.

Zack easily overcame the task, accepting the small effort from Aeris. He sat on the ground next to the woman. She watched him carefully as if studying him. Suddenly he leaned over the side. Aeris scrambled to help him, thinking he was about to fall once more.

"It's alright." Zack held up a hand. He tugged on something beneath him in the cliff. "My sword. Wouldn't want to forget it." The man lifted his arm, dragging the massive weapon with it. He effortlessly sheathed it behind his back and then turned his attention back to the woman. "How'd you get here?"

She shied away at first, her inner lip curling inward. "I ran away…" she whispered.

"You ran away!?" the man almost shouted too loudly. "Aeris, what were you thinking!? He could have killed you!" his whispers were noisy.

"He won't, I'm pretty sure." she reassured him. "He needs me to be alive; he won't kill me until I give him what he wants." Zack shook his head in dissatisfaction.

"I wouldn't trust him, Aeris. I don't think he'd hesitate a moment to kill you." The man paused momentarily on the word 'kill'. "At least hurt you. He's a monster, Aeris."

The Ancient watched Zack speak, his mannerisms, everything. She studied him as if he were a lab specimen. She shook her head at him.

"Trust me, Zack. I think I have the man figured out."

"…I…I know you've spent a lot of time with him, Aeris but I don't think you know him well enough to be a judge of that." Zack grimaced at his own words; he did not want to upset her. "For you not remembering much I don't think you should come to conclusions so quickly about people."

"Should I be weary of you?" the girl folded her arms.

"No. But you shouldn't trust me completely." The man cleared his throat.

"Why is that?" the woman stuck out her chin.

"You never know, I could be Sephiroth trying to trick you." The man rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Nope." The woman giggled. "Sephiroth may be good at capturing a person's image but he's bad at capturing their character."

"Really?" the man asked doubtfully.

"Yup!" she nodded quickly, her hair flowing in a mess. "He doesn't get nervous like you do. And if he was you right now, he'd probably be trying to scare me away from you, not be nice."

"You've always been quick to pick up people's personalities." The man agreed. His shoulders slumped in defeat. "But it's still not safe to think you know everything about Sephiroth. He's not your average…person."

"I know, but I think I've seen a side to him that no one's seen in a long time!" the woman grinned.

"Should I be worried about that?"

"Only if you don't trust me."

"I trust you, I trust you with my life. I just don't trust him." The man leaned on a hand. Aeris stared at the golden bracelets on his wrist.

"That's how I could tell." The woman pointed.

"What do you mean?" he tilted his head to the side.

"The bracelets. I went down below to find you, to make sure you were alright and Sephiroth beat me there. He was posing as you dead on the floor. I was so upset at first until I noticed the man wasn't wearing my golden bracelets!" she giggled, her hand moving to her lips.

"You're smart." Zack raised his eyebrows. "You catch things better than I do." A thin line formed his mouth. "I didn't notice in the crater when he was posing as you that your green materia was actually yellow instead. That shoulda been my first clue."

"I'm sorry." The woman looked off to the side.

"For what?" he was curious. "None of it was your fault. It actually was all mine! If I hadn't rushed in there, try to take care of everything myself, you and I probably wouldn't have been killed."

"But if we hadn't then the planet would have surely died, right?" The woman stared at the stone wall across from her. She couldn't fully remember everything, but she did know her death was not in vain.

"True…" Zack nodded. He knew what she was talking about. It was their sacrifice that summoned Holy. But Holy had the opposite effect; it was choosing to destroy the planet. Because Zack and Aeris were in the Lifestream they were able to pull the force out from the scars within the planet and protect it from the devastation of both meteor and Holy together.

There was a long silence, the two of them thinking separate thoughts to themselves. Aeris fidgeted uncomfortably. Zack could sense how tense she suddenly became. There was something bothering her and he had to know what it was.

"Aeris. What's up?" he asked her.

"Hm? Oh it's nothing, really!" the woman waved a hand at him. She looked downward at her stomach, she felt her heart sink.

"You're lying to me." The man lifted her chin to make her gaze into his cerulean depths.

"I just had a bad thought, that's all." The woman brushed away her feelings.

"Like what?" the man pried.

"It's nothing, none of your business." She pushed away.

"Really? Well I'm going to make it my business. One thing you'll learn is I never give up."

"Obviously." She breathed.

"Come on, I'll cheer you up." The man smirked at her. She couldn't help but smile back. He was so infectious to her.

"It'll only dampen the mood." She wanted to change the subject to something else, anything else. This was her chance, however, to straighten things out. She had to tell someone. Maybe Zack knew the answer.

"Nothing you can say can dampen my mood right now. You're safe and with me, I'm taking you with me and we're getting out of here." The man placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, what's on your mind?"

"Zack? You and I slept together, right?" the woman spat out the question. She could see its impact on Zack's face, like a ton of bricks just fell on him.

"Um…we…uh…I…You…" he stammered.

"Just tell me, Zack. It's important." The woman couldn't meet his gaze. Instead she watched him out the corner of her eyes.

"Whoo boy…" Zack scratched his head. He looked every which way and stuttered a bit more before falling into silence a minute. Aeris waited patiently for his answer. "Yeah." Another awkward silence consumed them. "Wait, what do you mean it's important-?"

"Did…we…" Now Aeris was blushing. What had she gotten herself into?

"Did we what?" the man laughed nervously.

"Let me start over." The woman cleared her throat. She faced the man, placing her hands in her lap. "Sephiroth and I…in Nibelheim, right? And then you and I in my mother's house, right?" she never felt so nervous in her entire life.

"Yeah." The man lowered his head, his eyes looking upward at her.

"Oh my…" the woman covered her face.

"You said it was important to know..why?" the man couldn't breathe. His throat was dry and his heart was pounding. Whatever it was she was hiding, it was bad he could tell.

Her lower lip quivered. "Zack…" her voice was shaky. She looked up at him, her hands grabbing at his coat pockets. All was quiet, she was hesitating.

"Shit, Aeris! WHY!?" the man tugged her toward him as soon as he saw the tears fall down her pink cheeks. He dreaded what it was that was bothering her.

"I…I think I'm pregnant, Zack." The woman sobbed. Her arms wrapped around his midsection as he cradled her.

"…" he took it all in. Her words were slow, comprehensible, and easy to hear there was no mistake about it; Aeris just said that she may be pregnant. Zack held her tighter against his chest, combing his fingers through her hair. He rested his chin atop her head. "Are you sure?" he swallowed hard.

"About two months worth…" she whimpered.

'Oh !' the man let out a shaky breath. The situation just flip flopped on him. He was looking forward to the salvation up ahead and thought that things couldn't get any better. But then fate had to come crashing down upon him.

"It'll be okay, Aeris. Everything will be alright." He petted her hair softly, whispering to her. He clenched his jaw, trying his best not to show her his own fear. The truth was he wasn't sure if everything would actually be alright. If Aeris was pregnant it could only mean two things. Either one, he was the father of the child or two, Sephiroth was.

"What am I going to do?" she cried into his jacket.

"I…I'll think of something." The man kissed her forehead.

"What, what if it's his?" the woman shook. She looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy. They gleamed brightly. It was a miserable face, one Zack wanted to kiss away. He stared at her as if he didn't understand her question. It was one he wanted to avoid for now.

"I…I…" he looked at the corner of a wall, into the darkness below, down the nearby tunnel, and outside where the snow and cold was past the gap.

"Zack?" she asked him nervously.

"I don't know, Aeris…" the man bit his lip.

He couldn't look at her, not when he didn't know the answers. He cursed himself for being weak. The thought scared him. Either way it went, it frightened him to no end. He wanted more than anything in the world for the child to be his and not Sephiroth's but knowing how the fates worked, everything was always against him and Sephiroth had had his way with her before he did. This all very well could be a part of Sephiroth's plan, a way to get Aeris on his side. It would make sense for Sephiroth to leave behind a spawn of his own to take over the family business while he was gone.

"That bastard!" Zack slapped the floor beside him. "Aeris, I'm so sorry! I should have been there for you that night, just like how I should have been there for you at my parent's house! I'm a lousy bodyguard, the worst kind! What would I do without you? What would I do if he took you away from us?" the man continued his blather.

"It'll be alright." Aeris nodded against him. Zack found it funny she was now comforting him.

"It will be." He agreed. Of course with every drastic situation, there came denial. "We'll figure everything out. We'll get through this. I promise, you!" the man gave her a sideways grin. "I'll be here for you, no matter what. You need a thing and I'll see to it that you get it. I'll serve at your side and wait on you. I'll spoil you like you deserve to be." The words seemed sugar coated. This wasn't like a convincing a child the chocobo fairy was real and that all the kids at school were wrong, this was a harsh reality, something Zack had no control over.

"I just want you to hold me." The woman smiled.

"Then that's what I'll do." He pulled her back into his lap. His arms wrapped around her securely.

The two sat in comfortable silence, enjoying the warmth they gave each other. Aeris took in the man's scent. The cologne he wore was comforting, almost brought tears to her eyes once again. It was familiar, like a memory. There were other underlying scents, his own natural scent, one of the outdoors and a hint of something bitter like Mako. She had no idea how long they sat in silence with each other, but she did know it was longer than she had planned.

"I love you." The man whispered unconsciously. Aeris turned her head upwards swiftly. The man was fast asleep, supporting her all on his own. His breaths were soft. She sighed of relief. This was Zack Fair, the man she remembered.

The woman pushed his arms away. Sephiroth would be here soon, looking for her no doubt. She needed to get away quickly so Zack would be out of harm's way. Aeris slowly stood from her secure place in Zack's lap. She knew what she was doing was not what Zack wanted, but she had a plan. She knew it would work, and it was exactly what would catch Sephiroth off guard. She watched Zack's sleeping form another moment, feeling a slight flutter in her stomach as she did so. A large smile crossed her face.

"I love you too." She whispered.

Aeris gave him a look over once more, already missing the heat from his body. She leaned forward kissing him softly on the lips. She turned away, heading toward the tunnel she came from. Suddenly something snagged her wrist.

"Aeris." Zack called out, his tone warning her.

"Zack!" the girl twirled around.

"Why would you leave? What's going on in that little head of yours?" he asked as he yawned. His eyes remained shut.

"I have a plan." The girl stammered.

"An what is that?" he opened an eye.

"I won't share it." She shook her head. "You'll just have to trust me."

"Aeris." He warned again.

"You don't trust me?" she asked, saddened.

"I do. You know that." He got to his feet.

"I'll be safe. He needs me, he won't hurt me. Not until I've helped him and he's achieved his goal." She looked up at the man trying her best to look authoritative to him, to match his size.

"And you expect me to stay here and wait for you?" the man folded his arms.

"No." she shook her head.

He waited, listening intently to what her plan was.

"You're mission is to go out and find Cloud and the others. You are to make it to the Northern Crater before Sephiroth goes through with his plans." A tiny smirk covered her face. It was an expression she had learned from the man beside her.

"You can keep him from achieving his goal until then?" the man asked.

"Yes, believe me. I know just how to distract a man." She winked.

"I don't know Aeris." Zack shook his head. He was abruptly thrown back as Aeris lunged against him pressing her lips against his. It was a firm kiss at first but Zack quickly regained his composure to join in the act. Their lips caressed, gently. Zack begged for more, licking her upper lip. The kiss was brief, ending as Aeris pushed away from him.

"Do as I say and everything will work according to plan. He'll be looking for me. I must return." She began walking away, Zack stunned by her previous actions.

"I don't like this, Aeris." The man replied.

"Stay close." She smiled and turned away from him.

"I'll be closer than you think." Blue eyes watched her cautiously.

"Then I'll be going now." In a flash she disappeared down the dark tunnel.

"Aeris!" the man called out to her.

"I'll come back when it's all over." Her voice lingered in the air.

"…" the words sent chills down the man's spine. The words seemed awfully familiar.

'The last ones she told Cloud before she disappeared for the City of the Ancients alone.'

He took a slow breath. His mission had begun. He had to find the others and he had to find them fast.

* * *

Sorry about the slight delay in the new chapter! I hope you all forgive me! Was distracted with plans between a friend and I and a cosplay convention next sept. anyways, happy new year's everybody! Hope you all enjoyed this new chapter! Thank you for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	28. Chapter 28

Oh-Em-Gee! Sorry about the delay once again… school started again this week. Some short winter break huh? Well I have 18 credit hours. And they are all studio classes so that means 6: 6 hour classes! And one of them I have to do as an independent study by myself. Blah. So I was very busy this week. But I'm done for the week and now I'm going to finally get this new chapter up! Thanks for sticking with the story! –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 28**

"Sephiroth?" Aeris whispered to the darkness around her. "Where are you?" the girl shivered. She hoped deeply that Sephiroth hadn't followed her to where she and Zack had been. It would ruin everything.

"Sephiroth? Are you here?" she was getting closer to where she had last seen Sephiroth in his natural form. She looked from side to side unaware of the staring shadow in the corner.

"Where have you been?" the man's voice rang out clearly as he stepped in front of the woman. She cried out when she bumped into his solid chest.

"Don't do that!" the girl slapped him in the shoulder. "You scared me." Huffing she gave him a murderous glare.

"You've been gone quite a while." The man eyeballed her cautiously.

"I had a lot on my mind." The woman folded her arms.

"You went to see him." Sephiroth matched the woman's actions.

"Yeah, I did. So what?" the girl looked off to the side.

"Since when did you care so much about _him_?" the look on the man's face was unreadable.

Aeris narrowed her eyes. "You jealous?" she questioned.

"What!?" the man sputtered. The woman got a rise out of his widened eyes.

"Oh!" she gasped as if remembering something. "Give me my materia." Aeris suddenly threw out her hand. She kept her other arm wrapped around her.

"What for?" the man cocked his head to the side, analyzing her.

"Just give it to me, it's mine." she frowned.

"No." the man turned away from her and headed down the tunnel into the dark.

"Why must you keep it!?" she stomped a foot.

"Why must you?" he looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes glowing menacingly.

"Because it's mine!" her voice was a low growl. Her hand pushed out further toward the silver haired man.

"…You aren't planning on using it anytime soon, are you?" he turned about face.

"W, well…" the girl innocently held her chin in a small hand.

"On Zack?" the man seethed. His voice hissed over the other man's name.

"I can help him!" Aeris tugged on the man's arm. He immediately pulled it away.

"He's dead Aeris! DEAD!" Sephiroth barked. She jumped at the volume. "He's GONE! DEAD! ETERNALLY SLEEPING! ONE WITH THE PLANET!"

"But I can help…" the woman breathed heavily, tears in her eyes.

"I thought you hated him!" Sephiroth leaned forward, scrutinizing her like an ugly bug. "Did you forget the incident in the forest?"

"No…" she hung her head low. "B, but…Sephiroth…" the man felt a chill down his spine at the mention of his name by her gentle voice. "Even if he was a bad person, I don't want anybody to die."

Sephiroth stared at the young woman, his green eyes taken by hers. He fumbled over his thoughts, trying to keep his cool. He hadn't followed her after she left his posing body on the cold rocky floor. She was very convincing about turning and running straight back to where she had left him, where they currently were. But she had taken so long to get back. He had even taken an alternate route, the long way around. Nonetheless, Sephiroth easily beat her here and had to wait some time for her to round the corner. He almost suspected that she ran away, went looking for the man who obviously wasn't dead. Sephiroth glared at the floor, remembering the anger he felt when Zack's body was nowhere to be found at the base of the cliff. Aeris seemed innocent enough, however, and she was dreadfully slow. He figured that must've been the reason for the delay. He had to trust her, she was all he had. She was the person who would bring him and Mother to salvation. Aeris was going to help him destroy the planet once and for all. He needed her to be with him, to trust him, to use her materia against the planet, to summon Holy.

He gently grabbed her hand, entwining his fingers within hers. Aeris was flush. He began walking, guiding her. His voice was soft and reassuring. "Sacrifices must be made in order to save the planet."

'And this time it won't be me…' Aeris replied in her mind.



* * *

Cloud climbed to his feet, his fingers frozen from digging in the snow for what seemed like hours. He quickly sheathed his snow covered sword. He silently prayed it wouldn't rust. Rubbing his hands together he turned to help the others out of the gaping hole. "Tifa." He called out to the freezing woman beneath the snow. Her teeth were chattering violently and she held onto her hands tightly. Cloud reached down to the woman. She eagerly grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly, not sure of her own strength caused by frozen nerves. He hoisted her up and set her on the ground. He kept his hands around hers, trying to add some body heat to them.

"You never listen to me." The man shook his head. The woman looked even more miserable out in the open. He thought it may have been a better idea to leave her in the cocoon of insulating snow.

"I wasn't g, going to sit in there and not…not help." She choked for a breath as a cold gush of wind washed down into her lungs.

Vincent leapt from the hole in the ground. One by one he helped the others climb out of the hole. He looked back out the corner of his eye at Tifa and Cloud. He had never seen the man even lay a finger on the woman when there was no need for it, like when rescuing her or helping out in battle.

"Damn it's cold!" Yuffie's voice echoed over the valleys.

"Quiet Brat! You wanna start another one of them avalanches?" the angry pilot named Cid shouted.

"Your voice isn't any better!" Yuffie huffed, her hands on her hips.

"Why don't both you shut yo' mouths?" Barret grumped. "It ain't that cold."

"Says the man with an extra foot of insulation around his body." The young woman muttered with a smug look on her face.

"What was that?" Barret leaned forward. He poked her with a robotic finger. "Wonder which is faster. My gun arm or Vincent's draw?"

Yuffie gulped.

"And who's to say that I'd actually draw?" the red eyed man mused.

"Vincent!?" Yuffie turned to the clawed man. He gave her a little smirk. "Ugh!" she rolled her eyes, stomping away.

"Perhaps we should hurry to the cliffs." Shelke shivered. She looked upward at the sky. Night was quickly approaching.

"I would agree." Red XII nodded, his headdress beads nearly touched the deep snow. It was a wonder how the animal stayed warm.

"I wouldn't want to be stuck out here at night." Kadaj ran his hands over his arms.

"Well what are we waitin' for?" Cait Sith hopped. "I don't want to malfunction either." The cat trotted through the snow up toward their destination.

"Let's head out." Cloud nodded once, releasing the brown eyed woman's hands. Tifa stared at him, wishing he wouldn't have let go. Cloud tugged at the gloves on his hands. He quickly slipped it from each finger individually. He grabbed both black leather gloves in one hand and passed them over to Tifa. She gave him a questioning look. "Put them on. You'll get frost bite."

"B, but…what about you?" she stammered.

"I've got these." The man turned away from her, leading the way. He held up a hand, waving the fingers. He wore his typical everyday gloves. "Just put them on, Tif." The woman smiled. He shortened her name. It didn't seem like much but the sound, 'Teef', was odd coming from his lips. She smiled, appreciating the small effort he made to show his affection. Tons of people called her that, but Cloud always called her just Tifa. There was nothing else. He was so formal, she was surprised he didn't just call her Miss Lockhart all the time.

The woman tugged on her soaking wet gloves. She stuffed them into her coat pocket and quickly pulled on the gloves Cloud gave her. She giggled softly to herself. His hands were bigger than hers, the gloves too big. She didn't mind though they were delightfully still warm. It was almost like his hands were still around hers.

"What's that?" Nanaki twisted his head. He stared at a group of bushes and trees, listening eagerly.

"You hear something?" Cloud asked.

"It's coming." The animal took a predatory stance. Suddenly the bushes began shaking violently. The group prepared to attack but halted once the bushes began talking.

"Ow! Son of a-!" out stumbled an angry Zack.

"Zack!" the group shouted.

"Huh?" he looked up, blinking. "Hey guys!" the man waved a hand, approaching them. "Bout time I found you." Tugging on stickers and leaves he brushed off his clothing.

"Are you alright?" Cloud stared at the man. He could tell Zack had been through more than the spill over the fissure into the valley. The blonde glanced at the cut on the man's leg.

"Yeah, fine." The black haired man caught his breath. "Damn bushes. Thought I'd never get out."

"Why didn't you just head for the Northern Crater?" Vincent pried.

"Oh that, yeah, do I have a long story to tell you." The man rubbed the back of his head. "But I suggest we keep moving in order to save time."

"Good idea." Yuffie muttered sarcastically. He ignored the girl's poor humor.

"Ok…long story short, I made my way into the crater and low and behold right in front of me is Aeris herself!" the man threw his arms into the air.

"And you didn't bring her with you!?" the ninja girl asked in disbelief.

"Woman, quiet while Zack tells his story." Cid drawled.

"She was across a fracture and just outside a tunnel. I called out to her but she was frightened of me, wanted to run away I could tell." The man stomped through the snow hurriedly. The other's struggled to keep up.

"Frightened?" Tifa asked.

"I think Sephiroth's been messing with her head. You know how he plays his games." The man scoffed. Tifa nodded. She knew exactly what he was talking about. Sephiroth himself had paid her a visit too in Nibelheim. "Anyways, I'm trying my best to get her over to me and then, can you believe it!? A behemoth is right behind her! Now I'm all frantic, trying to get her to come to me! She steps on the damn thing, pissing it off and it comes after her!"

The man continued his story about the dramatic scene that unfolded in the Gaea Cliffs; the great effort to both convince Aeris he wasn't bad and save her, the struggle with Sephiroth, his delightful fall into the darkness dragging his sword through the rock to slow himself down and the wonderful climb back up to the top. He continued telling them about finding Aeris back at the top again.

"She had run away from Sephiroth. We…" he hesitated. "Talked for a while."

'Should I tell them what she told me? About her being pregnant?' the man swallowed thickly. He shook his head. That was not important right now. They would figure things out after they found Aeris and stopped Sephiroth.

"So…where is she?" Cloud asked.

"She's with Sephiroth." He laughed nervously.

"What!?" it was a unison sound.

"Now, let me explain." The man held up a defensive hand. "Well…I can't quite explain it myself; it's all her doing actually."

"Zack…" Cloud clenched his fists, warning. "You didn't let her go by herself to stop the man, did you?"

"She said she had a plan." The man sighed. "Look, Cloud I know you don't like the sound of it. I don't either, alright?! But you know how she is…I couldn't stop her. She wouldn't listen. She said she had a plan and she knew exactly how to take care of things. And…I trusted her."

"I trusted her too, Zack. And that was the last time. She ran off to the City of the Ancients by herself! She was going to be killed then if you hadn't intervened! I was going to kill her!" the blonde shouted.

"But you didn't Cloud. None of us did, Sephiroth did. And right now, she's with him and she's waiting for us. My part of the plan is to get all of us to the Northern Crater as quickly as possible. Now stop bitching and get moving." The ex-SOLDIER continued walking. "I know it was stupid of me, but would you have preferred me to run off with her and have to fight Sephiroth by myself? Like last time?"

"…" the group remained silent.

"We both would have just been killed all over again waiting for you guys to show up. I needed to make sure that you all made it out of the avalanche alive and we all made it in time to save Aeris. She didn't specify what it was she was going to do, but I know that she's thought about it carefully." The man sighed loudly. He wasn't sure himself. He never should have left her alone.

"She said that she's seen a side to Sephiroth that we don't know. I think she's burrowed a soft spot into the man. Don't ask me how that happened; I don't even want to know myself." He mumbled. Cloud watched him benevolently. Cloud knew exactly what the other man was feeling. "I just have to trust her and carry out my part of the plan."

"Let's pray she's still alive when we get there." Cloud murmured.

"Oh…and here's the icing on the cake, Cloud." The man laughed to himself. Was he going crazy?

"…" the spiky haired man waited.

"She said she'd come back when it's all over…" the man looked back with a worried smiling face.

"." the blonde shook his head.

"That's what I thought too." Zack's shoulders slumped.

They continued a few more feet. Suddenly, the ground beneath Zack's feet opened up, exploding into pieces, and swallowed the man.

"ZACK!?" Cloud shouted. He held an arm over his face, protecting his eyes from the falling snow and frozen dirt. Everything settled into place revealing a large hole in the ground. Cloud looked down the hole. It was only about 7 feet deep and curved backward from where they came. "Back!" Cloud pointed.

"What?" Tifa looked behind her.

"It's going back! Look!" Cloud shouted, sprinting past the others and running back toward the cocoon from earlier.

The ground busted in places, snow and ice spraying everywhere. It was like a giant sandworm was burrowing quickly under the ground, making a tunnel. And whatever it was, it was taking Zack with it.

"Zack!" the blonde cried out as he neared the hole. He watched the ground, seeing the straight line of the ground crumbling beneath the surface.

"Cloud! Be careful!" Tifa called out.

"Damn he runs fast!" Barret cursed. "Wait up, Spiky!"

"Zack! Hold on!" Cloud pushed himself to run quicker. 'It's fast…' the man panted.

Snow exploded from the giant hole of the cocoon that was caused by the avalanche. The group stopped dead in their tracks. It wasn't the explosion that shocked them all, but the fact that the snow wasn't white. It was red. Balls of snow and millions of tiny flakes exploded from the ground, all spotted in a deep crimson. It was like the planet itself was bleeding.

'Oh shit!' Cloud felt goose bumps invade his entire body. They all watched in horror. The ground stopped moving. There was no more noise of crumbling snow, no more shouts from the others. It was dead silent, the soft howling of an approaching wind made the scene all the more dreadful.

"Zack?" Cloud managed to speak after a minute. He stumbled step by step, slowly nearing the opening in the ground. He closed his eyes, hearing an awful laughter, one that reminded him of Hojo. The blonde dropped to his knees, clenching the side of his head.

Cloud could see Zack lying on the Shinra lab table, being cut into pieces, infused with Mako, stuffed into a giant tube filled with liquid oxygen and other unknown chemicals. He remembered his angry shouts and the painful ones. He remembered the scratches on the side of the tube's thick glass, Hojo's maniacal laugh and spidery fingers. Visions of Zack's dead body lying in the rain wracked painful cries from the man's soul. He could see Zack lying on the crater floor, wounds through his body, his own blood pooling out around him. It was too much blood. No one should have that much blood leave their body and them being able to still speak. He had tried so hard to hang on, but Zack knew it was useless. Cloud growled to himself, trying to push back the memories. Now he could see Zack lying in the cocoon of snow torn to pieces by whatever it was that gabbed him. He could see blood everywhere in the white linen snow, White like the color of death, a pale body, the colors of Aeris' Iris' she sold when someone lost a loved one, the color of dead eyes…

"Cloud!" he heard Tifa's voice. The others had finally caught up. "What happened!? Is he alright!?"

Cloud quickly glanced upward at the sound emitting from the hole in the ground. It was that laughter again. Something shot up from the hole. The group shouted in surprise. It was a heavy sword, Zack's sword. It too was covered in blood. A moment later two gloved hands plopped on two sides of the gap.

"Mother &s." A moan sounded.

"Zack!" Tifa ran over to the man. "Are you alright!? My god!" she covered her mouth. The man was covered in crimson as well.

"Not mine…" the man breathed heavily. "At least, not all of it…" He leaned over the side of the hole, resting a moment to catch his breath. He dug a boot into the side of the cold snow, ready to push his way out.

"What was it?" Cloud slowly got to his feet.

"Those damn…" the man's blue eyes opened wide. He was almost out of the hole when a white hand sprang out of the hole and gripped the man's boot. Cloud stared at it, feeling the sense of nausea taking over. "AH!" Zack screamed as he was torn backward into the hole once again, snow exploding behind him.

"NO!" Cloud dove over the side of the hole, reaching for his friend. He gripped Zack's hands. "Hold on!"

Strife stared down at Zack. There was a cluster of 'wandering' clones, the same from the underground lab beneath Shinra Co. They tugged and pulled at Zack's leg's, reaching upward at his torso, tearing into his flesh. Others dug quickly beneath him, the ground opening up like an earthquake. Zack winced in pain, blood dripped from a gash on his brow. There were nicks and cuts all over his body and his clothing was covered in red. The two struggled with the clones.

"You…have the…worst luck." Cloud grunted.

"Don't I know it?" Zack frowned. Their hands slipped, only fingertips were latched. The two groaned. Cloud focused on the man, ignoring the cries from the other's outside, his body slipping, and the ground crumbling around them. Everything seemed to slow down considerably. It was like someone hit pause on a game.

"Find Aeris." Zack spoke quietly. The sound was ghastly. Cloud made eye contact with the dark haired man, worried eyes stared into disappointed.

Time sped up. In a flash Zack was gone, down into the dark depths of the earth.

"ZACK!" Cloud shouted, reaching at nothing but the frozen dirt.

"Cloud!" there was screeching from the women and hollering from the men. The blonde felt himself being tugged by Barret, he didn't notice that he was fighting with the man.

"What are you doing!? You can't go back in there! It's suicide!" Barret struggled with the spiky haired blue eyed man. Cloud shoved Barret away with the shrug of an arm.

"I'm not going to sit here anymore!" the blonde screamed. Everyone gawked. Cloud never raised his voice like this. It was higher in pitch, a foreign sound. "Damn it! Zack has died too many times, bled too many times to save us! I'm tired of sitting back and not doing a thing!" he scolded. "You all can sit here, trying to think of the safe way to infiltrate that place, but I'm not! # damnit! I'm not playing these 

games anymore!" the blonde spat. He knelt down quickly, scooping up Zack's sword. He sheathed it with his.

Tifa cringed. She had never seen the man so angry. Not even when he fought with Sephiroth.

"This isn't a game! This is really happening! People are getting hurt! People are dying! And for what!? NOTHING! Absolutely nothing! He'll keep coming back, keep trying to kill us all and if we keep this up we're all going to die!" his voice softened. "I'm tired of relying on other people to take the fall for me."

Cloud turned toward the hole and without another thought, dropped in.

"Cloud…" Tifa watched in shock. Everyone stood silently, watching the hole as if it were going to do something.

"What…are we going to do?" Shelke asked.

"We don't know where that tunnel goes." Yuffie said apprehensively.

"It goes there…" Kadaj stared at the dark hole.

"Where?" Shelke asked.

"To the Northern Crater." The man had his eyes closed tightly. He looked like he was in pain. "It's those clones again. They are taking him to the crater."

"But it's going underground." Cid patted his pockets, looking for a cigarette. "Damn…"

"That's the whole point." Vincent glanced over the side of the opening. "If they drop low enough, they can cut through the rock and soil leading to the crater. They do exactly as they did in the underground labs. If they beeline from here they'll make it to the center of the crater."

"The center of the crater…" Tifa bit her lip. "The final confrontation."

"It's where Sephiroth is heading. For some reason he wants Zack." Vincent shook his head.

"Why'd he do somethin' like that?" Cait Sith scratched his ear.

"I don't know why. Perhaps it is to take away our strength." The clawed man replied.

"Or it's Jenova's way of weakening them, putting them in a bad mental state." Red XIII suggested.

"Or he just likes torturing the man." Kadaj frowned. Everyone stared at the man in disbelief. "What? You know what type of man Sephiroth is."

"Then we shouldn't be wasting any time." Tifa announced. "Cloud was right. We need to get there as quickly as possible. We don't have time to dilly dally."

"The more time we take the sooner the others come to death." Red XIII stood next to Vincent by the gaping hole in the planet.

"Shall we head in then?" Yuffie asked.

"Or should we split up? Half goes in the hole; the other half goes the normal route? That tunnel doesn't look very safe." Cid pondered. As if on cue, the ground started shaking.

"Cloud!?" Tifa ran to the hole.

"Back up! It's caving in!!" Vincent tugged the woman rearward.

They all flew backwards, leaping away from the swallowing hole. The group ran away at a safe distance, cracks and new holes opening up in the terrain. The ground shook violently another minute before falling into peaceful silence.

"Cloud!" Tifa scrambled to her feet, her snow boots kicking up flurry. "Oh god! CLOUD!" she dropped before the now enclosed hole, tears stinging her eyes.

The ground had swallowed him up. He was crawling through tunnels of rock and dirt. He was surely crushed. There was no way he crawled to the crater already. The woman gasped.

'The other hole!' she jumped to her feet, running back to the other opening Zack was first pulled under.

"Tifa!" Barret hollered.

"The other hole! He may have gotten out! He may still be alive!" the woman shouted frantically.

"But…" the dark skinned man hesitated. Cloud was in the lower tunnel beneath the first level. He would have had to dig his way upward through rock and dirt who knows how many feet to make it up to the first level and out the hole.

But Tifa had hope, and she knew that as long as she had faith, good things would happen.

* * *

Cloud crawled through the tunnels as fast as he could. He only wished that the tunnels were high enough to stand in. It must've been the clone's plans to slow them down, to make sure they didn't make it to the crater before they did. He figured that sooner or later the tunnels had to open up. Even the clones wouldn't be able to keep up the quick digging without being able to run. He'd catch up with them sooner or later.

He had a lot of weight to carry; both his and Zack's sword would only slow him down more. It was too dark to tell what was before him. The man slid out his cell phone, flicking it open. Bright blue light 

flooded into the darkness. He looked up ahead. The tunnels indeed did widen. He guessed it was past the hole Zack was first drug into. Cloud paused.

'Wait…' he frowned. 'Why would they decide to widen it now? What's the purpose of keeping this hole so small? Was it to slow me down?' the man narrowed his eyes to get better sight. He noticed a standing pillar supporting the ground above him. It was about thirty feet before him and looked very frail and thin.

He slowly continued, wary of the situation he was in. Cloud never bothered to look at the ground beneath him. Of course, he wouldn't notice the sudden steep slope.

"Ah! Shit!" the blonde fell forward.

He slid down the polished, flat ground of the tight tunnel. His back collided with the pillar, sending a traumatic scar over its surface. The man coughed, his wind knocked out of him. He crawled to his feet, standing. He tensed when he sensed something moving beside him. A low hiss sounded. Cloud turned toward the sound coming face to face with white glowing eyes and slick smooth skin.

"AH!" The man stumbled away.

It was a clone and it had been waiting for him. Cloud watched as the monster's hand began glowing, ready to cast a magic spell. Cloud pulled out his sword, lunging backward and slipping on the side of the steep slope he had just fallen from. He fell to the ground with luck however as the clone had just throw a spell at him. Lightning bolts burst into the sides of the walls and ceiling. It was a maxed level spell, tearing up massive amounts of surface area. Cloud frowned.

"You stupid clone!" the blonde growled.

Another spell was shot out at the man. Cloud dodged easily, driving his sword through the clone's midsection. Being cramped in a tight place prevented the clone from using its quick speed. It tried to dart back, carrying the man forward with his sword stuck in its body. There was a loud crunch as the monster ran into the pillar, cracking it further. Explosions sounded from all around, Cloud looked behind him. The ground was caving in on itself. He turned his gaze back to the clone, glaring.

"You asshole. This was all a part of your plan, wasn't it!?" the blonde fumed. The clone only tilted its head at the man. "Well you can die down here!" the blonde pulled the sword from the monster's body, tearing the supporting pillar to pieces. The beast dropped to the floor.

'!' the man cursed repeatedly in his head.

He looked upward at the shaking roof of mud. The lightning blasts were even melting the snow, dirt and rock. Cloud gritted his teeth. He needed to get out of here immediately. He began to head back to where he came but the steep slope was too much. He could hear the beginnings of the ground above caving in. He turned his head upward again.

'The hole…it has to be around this area. But how!?' the man panicked.

Cloud darted back and forth. 'I could run down the tunnel after the clones…' he growled in frustration loudly. 'I won't make it. I wasted too much time with that clone!' the man hopped up and down.

"!" he cursed aloud.

He stabbed his sword upward into the roof, his materia glowing. The soil came crumbling down around him. He closed his eyes, feeling the strength of the spell explode from the tip of his sword. is claw dug into the snow and soil. at he too was worried to hell about Cloud. ea was sunken in the most. --In seconds he was engulfed by rocks.

* * *

"Cloud! Cloud!" Tifa dug through the snow; surprisingly this hole wasn't full of rock and dirt, but mostly the surrounding snow. It seemed that this area was sunken in the most. "Help me!" she called out to the others.

"We have to remain calm, Tifa." Vincent announced. He kneeled beside the woman. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he too was worried to hell about Cloud. His claw dug into the snow and soil. She abruptly stopped.

"You hear that?" the woman asked. There was a small tremor and then the ground sunk in further, tearing into bits. The woman shouted in surprise, falling back onto her behind in the cold snow.

"Dig!" Vincent hollered. The others were there now digging with the man. Tifa regained her composure and joined them. They pulled the pebbles away.

"Pebbles? Weren't these rocks a moment ago?" the woman asked.

"Yeah…" Vincent replied. "I think Cloud's working his way out."

"What!?" the woman asked hopefully.

"These pebbles are a result of heavy shock waves." The man explained. "Being a Turk you learn about the way magic effects certain things."

"Magic?" Yuffie questioned.

"Quake." The dark haired man smirked.

"Cloud, you smart dog!" Cid hooted.

"You mean, he's still alive!?" Tifa scooped up dirt and pebbles.

"Possibly." Vincent nodded.

"Don't know how anyone could survive that…" Barret let out a deep breath.

"I feel him!" the dark haired woman reached into the dirt. Her arms dug into the soil. She wrapped her arms around what felt like Cloud.

Vincent dug in as well helping the woman. They lifted together as the others scraped at the surrounding rocks. Slowly, sure enough, Cloud was pulled from the debris. He was a mess, caked in dirt and mud and a little bit of his own blood.

"Oh Cloud." Tifa gasped. There was a wound on his head and his arms were battered and bruised, his clothing torn in places. The woman reached for her green materia to cure the man while Vincent leaned forward to inspect him.

"…He's not breathing…" Vincent held his ear next to the boy's mouth.

"What!?" Tifa's voice rasped.

"And I can't really feel a pulse. It's very faint." The man informed coolly.

"We…we got to do something!" the woman clenched the blonde haired man's shirt.

She held onto him tightly, a hand against his cheek. The man lay in the cold snow, slowing staining it with his own blood. Tifa leaned forward, hugging him. The sun settled low on the horizon.

"We can't let Cloud die!"

* * *

Ok! That's the end of this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! Thanks for reading and reviewing! –Annubis


	29. Chapter 29

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Hey everyone! Thanks for all the support I appreciate it! Its good hearing from you all! Anyways, nothing else to say I'm just gonna get this thing posted. –Annubis

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**The Decision Between Life or Death:**

**A Second Chance**

**Chapter 29**

Cloud shivered. The quaking of his body sent jolts of unease through his body. He searched the area about him. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was crawling through the dark tunnels created by the nasty clones that had kidnapped Zack. Now he was in a different type of darkness, one that seemed more sinister than the last. He still couldn't see anything, nor could he hear. The man felt like he was moving, his legs like flan. Each footstep sent another wave of nausea through him. It was too much. Something was wrong and the man wasn't sure if it was because he was dying or if it was because of what was about to happen. It was a bad feeling nonetheless and he wasn't quite prepared for what was going to happen.

He was starting to regain his hearing. Multiple footsteps echoed around him. Slowly he began to see highlights around him, sticking to the rocky surface of the cave walls they apparently were adventuring in. The man heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Cloud?" it was Tifa. "You feeling alright?"

The man couldn't find his voice. He could just swallow the bile rising in his throat.

There were no more questions. And the footsteps seemed to quicken. It seemed as if everyone was leaving him. He tried to catch up but his legs were sluggish. He seemed as if he were going in slow motion. It reminded him of the time Zack experimented on Cloud with his materia for practice. It took hours for the Slow spell to wear off, Zack laughing all the while at the man. Cloud got his just reward, however, casting haste on the man in his sleep. The guy was on the move the entire night, running between the kitchen and the bathroom and never getting a single wink the rest of the night. The spells were worse than drugs, but without quite the harmful side effects.

Cloud felt a painful headache emerging as the light at the end of the tunnel seemed to explode into his eyes. He wanted to shield his eyes but just couldn't manage to find himself capable of moving any more. He stumbled into the light, sensing he was now in a different location, one that was more open. That's when he heard the screams.

"No! Stop it!" it was Aeris. The woman was hollering about something.

Cloud squint his eyes, trying his best to focus on his surroundings. Light slowly faded into slight darkness. At first all he could see were silhouettes. Shadows danced all around. It was a battle. He could hear the cries of pain and the struggling sound of boots on the rocky floor. Weapons clashed together.

"Look out!" it was a scream, one that he could not identify. He looked from side to side, trying to interpret the blurring figures. He finally understood the statement once he felt a tingling sensation in his gut.

His fingers twitched incapable of protecting himself. All Cloud could do was feel. A ghost like figure hovered over him. It was a distorted laugh that rang out in his ears, followed by the distressed sounds of his name being screamed. Cloud suddenly felt at relief. His legs gave out, dropping him to the cold floor.

"C, Cloud…" it was a chilling sound. The man's clue eyes jolted open, seeing for the first time as clear as day. He was in the crater.

Tifa lay on the ground before him. Her frail hand was reaching out to him, covered in blood. Cloud gaped at the scene. She was holding the cloth to her shirt close to her body, it shredded and her red fluid pouring out of wounds. The man swallowed thickly, his sick feeling returning. Everything fell into silence.

All around were bodies. Cid sat on the ground, his body propped up against a wall. He laid dead, his spear at his fingertips, a single cigarette he needed to ash stuck to his lips. Barret was gone. No sight of the man. There was a scrap of metal that seemed to belong to his gun arm on the ground only a few feet away from a limp Yuffie. The poor girl was stabbed in the back by nothing more than her own weapon. The large protruding blades covered thickly with her blood. Red XIII was whimpering on the ground, slowly finding his own death. Shelke and Kadaj lay next to each other burning as they were slowly consumed by a fire spell. Cait Sith was strewn all over the place in pieces. Even Vincent didn't make it. The man lay on the ground, a hole through his center. The man was reemerging to his normal self as his demon wings sank back into him. His red eyes slowly transformed into dark. The image was unnatural to the man after knowing him with only crimson.

Cloud shivered.

"Stay…with me…" it was Tifa again. The man rolled his head to the side, watching the paling woman before him. "S…stay…" the woman's lips stopped moving. Cloud watched her and much to his horror, her pupils dilated covering her chocolate brown eyes. He gave her a look over. There was a stray tear on her blood stained and dirty cheek. Her hair was a tangled mess, covering much of her face. Her hands still were covered with his back leather gloves, now tainted by her own blood. Her once pink lips were now a pale white. It seemed she was drained of all fluid.

"T…Tifa…" he whispered, his voice hoarse. She was dead. There was no more Tifa. It was now just a meaningless name, a name that no longer had a life force, one that would forever remain empty on his lips, and one that was like a foreign tongue.

He felt the familiar sting of tears on his eyes. Then there was the familiar tug at his heart. He was once again helpless, unable to protect them all. Tifa was dead and so was everyone else.

'Zack…and Aeris…' the man lifted his head, trying to find the lost two. His gaze froze on the center pillar of the crater. It stood erect surrounded by the thick Lifestream. There were three forms. Two were lifeless. One body lay on the ground and another in the arms of a figure, one that appeared like a demonic force.

"Seph…iroth…" Cloud mumbled to himself, feeling hate boil in his veins. His heart was pounding in his chest. It was both a relief and a hardship to bear, knowing his heart was still beating.

It didn't take long for his heart to skip a beat or two. Sephiroth was the body that lay on the ground. He was cut and beaten beyond recognition. His large Masamune lay beside him only a few feet away. Cloud could tell that the man's last thoughts were only for his own survival. His fingers were dug into the rocky surface as if he were desperately trying to get away, to grab his sword and regain his victory. His face held a look of horror. In the man's back was a massive blade, the blade that belonged to Zack.

Cloud silently cheered, knowing that Sephiroth hadn't fully succeeded. Those thoughts were quickly dismissed. What was the point when everyone you knew and loved were dead? Cloud looked upward at the kneeling form. It was none other than Zack. In his arms he held Aeris. The woman's life force was vanquished. She was limp in the man's arms. Her lips matched Tifa's only slightly parted. Blood trickled from those once smiling lips. Her torso was torn, a large wound. Cloud then realized. These wounds were larger than what Sephiroth's sword was capable of. The blonde glanced down at himself. His wound was massive, matching Aeris. He felt his vision beginning to blur.

'Not possible…' the blonde thought; not sure if he spoke at all.

Zack lifted his head slowly from Aeris forehead. Cloud felt his heart slowing in speed. Zack held onto the woman, his glowing eyes opening slowly to look at the dying man on the floor. It was a paralyzing glare. His blue gaze was gone; it turned into something that looked like fire. Cloud could feel the heat emanating from the man's stare. Zack seemed to boil anger, heat waves steaming from his form. Cloud felt his body go numb. Out of the silence, as everything slowly faded into darkness, came a voice and a laugh, one that Cloud knew all too well. It belonged to the calamity herself, Jenova. Except this time it wasn't laced with Sephiroth's vocal chords, but instead Zack's.

"_The time has come where you all become one with the planet. Together we'll journey through the stars in search of the promised land…"_

Cloud shivered once, twice, and finally, after the third time, he remained unmoving. Jenova had gotten her reunion. Jenova had finally succeeded.

Cloud died with a smile on his face. His last thoughts remained in the crater forever, haunting the location.

'So…this is how it ends. Maybe now…we can…all…rest…'

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"Tifa…" Cloud's voice rang out, interrupting the resting silence of the cave.

"Cloud." Tifa whispered. She crawled on her hands and knees, approaching the man. She shook him gently as she saw he was distressed. She could see that he was sweating, his fever breaking. "Wake up."

"Tifa!" the man opened his eyes. He stared at her, a look of pain and fear covered his face. It was a face full of more emotion than she had seen in a long time.

"It's okay." The woman whispered, concerned. "You were only dreaming."

"…dreaming?" the man looked at her. He was confused.

"You're alright. You were just sleeping." The woman sat back on her heels.

'But…it was so real.' The man frowned.

"Where are we?" he asked after a moment.

"Just outside the center of the crater." The woman informed the man. "It's very late. We were all taking a break, to rest."

"Outside the crater?" the man struggled to sit up. He winced in pain, holding his head.

"You were beat up pretty bad. We were afraid you weren't going to make it. Vincent was able to keep you alive."

"Vincent?" the man scoffed at more himself than the thought of Vincent saving him.

"Luckily we have someone on the team who knows CPR and all that other medical stuff." The woman bit her lip. "I was so afraid you wouldn't make it." Her voice broke up at the end. She didn't look at him in the eye. They sat in silence for a few minutes. After the man didn't speak for a while she continued.

"We figured that since Aeris is with Sephiroth that they would need to rest as well. And if what Zack said was true, she'd be stalling as much as possible and making excuses." Tifa cleared her throat.

"We need to go." Cloud muttered. Tifa watched him.

"But your wounds…" she started.

"I'm not weak, Tifa." he got to his feet, wobbling a bit. He leaned against the rock wall to support himself a moment. "Wake up the others. We have to go." His breathing quickened. His words came out harsher than he anticipated.

"I know you're not weak…" the woman whispered to herself. Cloud shook of the fact that she sounded so saddened by his callous actions and words. The man stood by himself a moment, resting his forehead 

against his raised supporting arm. She stared at his back. The silence was overwhelming. Tifa decided it was best to follow orders. She went to Vincent first.

Tifa knelt down next to the resting man. He was propped against a wall, his ankles crossed. "I'll wake everyone." His cool voice sounded. Red eyes opened to meet Tifa's gaze. She was hovering over him, very close. "You prepare yourself." He slowly got to his feet; Tifa straightened up, looking away. She decided to bring her attention back to the spiky haired man a few feet away. She knew he was brooding and that the only thing she could do was leave him alone. Cloud one to confide in others when things got bad.

'I'm so worthless…' the blonde closed his eyes. 'I've wasted so much time. Even when I try to act like a leader I screw things up. I'm not Zack. I can't take control of situations, I can't care for others. I can't fight like him; I'm not worthy to be able to save the planet. Why me? Why do I get stuck doing all of this? Why can't I just go on with life? Why can't I just continue moving on like everyone else? I try and all I do is screw things up. All I do is disappoint everyone. I can't even take care of myself how am I supposed to take care of everyone else? I'm not a father, I'm not a husband, and I'm not even a good friend. I can't do anything. I'm nothing. I'm worthless.' His brain lectured him like it did every day.

'Then why'd you join SOLDIER?' another voice asked. It was such a long time since he heard that voice. It was like Zack had been in there all along, listening.

'I never made it though, did I?' the man picked at a loose pebble in the wall.

"Only acted like I did…" Cloud mumbled incoherently.

'But you've proved yourself useful, right?' the voice called out. Cloud shook his head. Ever since Zack died the first time, he could never get the man's words out of his head.

'How? By letting you die?' the man sighed.

'You haven't died.' The voice cheered.

"Yet…" the tiny rock plopped to the man's feet.

'You never were very optimistic, were you?' he smiled at the remark. He surely was going crazy. Zack was alive and well, and yet he constantly had conversations with him in his head.

'Never.' The blonde smirked.

'You always looked better when you smiled.' The voice continued. 'I think Tifa likes that smile. It always makes her happy.'

Cloud ended his thought process. What was this about Tifa?

'Maybe it isn't best letting the man sit there and brood all alone.' Tifa continued to stare at the man. She ignored the others around her waking up and gathering their equipment. 'He's talking to himself again… 

Maybe the problem is he's alone all the time. Maybe it would be good for him to have someone to talk to.' The woman decided that was what she was going to do. She was going to give Cloud some company.

'If I hadn't gone into those tunnels we may have caught up by now.' Cloud frowned again. His brain worked in continuous circles. He wondered what it would be like to watch him during these thought processes, smiling, frowning, and crying. It was all he ever did.

"I'm going crazy…" the man grumbled.

"I don't think you're crazy." Tifa's voice called from beside the man. He shivered at the sound of her voice.

"That's comforting that you think so, Tifa." the man said almost sarcastically. "But you don't know what goes on in here…" he tapped the side of his head.

"All too well." The woman smiled. His blue eyes lifted to meet hers. "You may be complex on the inside, Cloud, but I can read you like a book."

"Like a book?" the man raised a brow.

"Like fifth grade level." She giggled.

"I'm that easy?" he shook his head. "Or that stupid?"

"You're not stupid. You're as complex as ever, but after living with you for so many years I think I'm beginning to understand everything." She leaned against the wall in front of him, resting against her shoulder and folding her arms. Cloud stared at the gloves on her hands, frowning. "Hm?" she looked down. "You're gloves? You want them back?" the woman began to tug on them.

"No." he shook his head. 'They look better without your blood on them…'

"Okay…" she stared at her hands. "So…when are you going to tell me what's on your mind?"

"What do you mean?"

"You can't keep everything inside all the time. It's not healthy." She lectured.

"Since when was I healthy?" he pushed gently away from the wall.

"I'll be your therapist." The woman beamed.

"I don't need a therapist." The man groaned.

"You just said you were crazy." She was picking on him. The blonde raised a brow at her. "I'll be the judge of that. So tell me…what's on your mind?" she wasn't expecting the man to actually play along with her.

"The safety of everyone and how I am just going to fail all over again." The man said in a low voice.

"…" Tifa listened.

"I'm worthless. I'm no hero. I can't be like Zack. I can't save him, Aeris, you…no one." The man stared at her but was looking through her.

"But that's the thing…" she began. He looked up at her. "You're not Zack. You're you, Cloud."

"But…" the man stopped.

"You may not think you are a hero, but I bet everyone here thinks otherwise. You've saved us all twice from the end of the planet. And I'm sure this time will be no different." The woman placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Third time's a charm. My luck's opposite of others. I'm sure I'll fail this time."

"Now you're just making excuses." The woman waved a finger at him. She saw a glint of humor in his eyes. "And you know it."

"But what if I do fail?" his tone was serious once again.

"Then you do. Now harm done. You did your best." The woman smiled. "You can't keep beating yourself up over the past. Even with the past fixed and those two alive you still blame yourself. All you can do is worry about yourself. That's a big enough burden. You can't be expected to take care of everyone, including the planet. No one can do that."

"…It's easy to say that, but when you've watched your life sleep away into darkness it makes it harder not to blame yourself." The man lowered his head.

"Cloud…We all were just as capapble to save Aeris back then and we all did nothing. We just stood there and watched. We all watched Zack die too and we watched our town burn into nothing and our families be extinguished. No matter how hard we fought, we couldn't stop it from happening. Sure, I blame myself for not being there when father died, but you know what? It was his decision to go to that reactor. Just like how it was Zack and Aeris' decision to go alone. It's hard to say this, but you know it's true. You can't be expected to help anyone when they don't ask for your help in the first place."

"But now, they are asking for our help." Cloud spoke.

"And that means we will try our best to help them. We can't fail." The woman nodded. Cloud felt himself be defeated again. "And we won't."

"We won't." the man repeated the words.

"We won't fail." Tifa reassured the man.

"I won't fail." He clenched his fists.

"That's right."

"I can beat the past. I can beat Sephiroth." The man chanted. "I can beat Jenova, save the planet, save everyone."

"You've done it before." Tifa added.

"And I'll do it again." He gritted his teeth. "I won't be defeated by anybody. Especially myself."

Tifa grinned. What a determined man he suddenly became. She should try to give him a pep talk more often.

"But…" his confidence died.

"No buts!" the woman growled. "Whatever happens happens. For now, think about the plan and helping them out. Worry about all of this once it's over with. You can't dwell on defeat if you haven't been defeated yet. It's this type of thinking that makes you lose. If we lose you to yourself then we all lose. You hear me?" she shook his shoulders. She wanted to slap him silly. 'What an impossible man!'

"If I fail…"

"Don't think that way."

"If I lose…"

"Stop it."

"If I die…"

_SLAP_!

Cloud was dumbfounded. She just smacked him! The noise echoed down the corridor. Cloud could feel the burning stare of the dozens of eyes now watching him. His eyes looked back and forth, his cheeks turning red from the blush of embarrassment. He glanced at the woman before him. She was glaring, a frown on her face and her hands on her hips.

"Thank you, Tifa." the man nodded.

'It worked?' she watched him curiously.

"I guess I just need to be slapped around a little more often."

"Yo, we ready to go yet?" Barret hollered over the group.

"Yeah…" Cloud nodded. "We're ready." He strode over to where both his and Zack's swords lay. He lifted them up one at a time and sheathed them into the harnesses on his back.

"Someone's motivated." Cid muttered.

"Let's hurry." Cloud headed down the tunnel. "Our friends are waiting."



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"Just do it!" Sephiroth squeezed her wrist tighter.

"Ow! Stop it!" the woman whimpered. "I, I can't! I don't know how!"

"Liar!" he clenched his jaw.

"I'm not lying!" she cried out. "I'm…I'm so tired…"

"No more of this!" he threw her to the ground. His fingers squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Why, Aeris? Why can't you just do this one little thing for me? It's all I ask of you…" He felt so aggravated.

'Why are women like this? I swear…she'll be the end of me.'

"I'm sorry, Sephiroth." She shook her head, holding onto the green materia. The man sighed. She said his name again.

'She must be a witch. Every time she says my name I am no longer angry. HOW!?' he kneeled beside her.

"I'm sorry." The man frowned. "I'm just excited about cleansing the planet."

"What do you mean by cleanse?" the woman looked up at him accusingly.

"Uh, I…to relieve the world of evil…" he stuttered.

"What evil?" she tilted her head innocently.

'HUMANS!' the man wanted to scream. He couldn't take this anymore.

"Oh, why must you be so naïve? There are millions upon millions of evils on this planet. I'm just going to help clean the planet by using Holy." He raised her hand, marveling at the color of the materia. It was a whitish-green orb. It sparkled in the light. "Holy…isn't that a marvelous name?"

"Holy…" Aeris repeated the word.

"Yes. Holy…in its magnificent glory will cleanse this planet. You and I will be the planet's saviors. No more pain, no more suffering, no more hate…" Sephiroth ranted. He sounded so sure of himself. Aeris wanted to believe him, but knew he was nothing more than a liar. Sure it would cleanse the planet, but to his benefit she knew no doubt. But how would Holy help him? She thought about it a moment.

'Why am I playing with her like this!? Why don't I just do things the easy way?' the man reached into his pocket to fetch his yellow materia. 'I'll just make her do it.' He smiled. There was something so enticing about making her do something against her will. It sent chills down his spine.

'Holy…Holy…what was it that Zack told me?' she closed her eyes. It was suddenly getting very difficult to think. 'I summoned Holy to save the planet…why would Sephiroth want it?' she felt her head getting foggy. She was having a hard time remembering anything, where she was and why she was here.

"Aeris." Sephiroth sang her name. "Summon Holy for me."

"Holy…" the woman closed her eyes, holding it against her chest. Sephiroth was kneeled behind her with a hand on her shoulder. He whispered in her ear.

'Holy…to save the planet. It'll be my sacrifice. I will sacrifice myself to save the planet. I will summon the power to stop METEOR and to save everyone.' The woman repeated the thoughts from so long ago. She thought she was back in the city of the Ancients on the altar. She began to pray.

"Summon that wonderful power of yours, Aeris.' His lips scorched her ears.

'But Holy…won't it kill the planet?' the woman felt an interfering thought. 'No! Don't do it! It's all a part of his plan! He's going to make you summon Holy to kill the planet! It was choosing to kill the planet when Meteor was falling. It decided the fate of the entire world was death! Don't do it!'

"N, no…" Aeris shook her head.

"What!?" Sephiroth concentrated harder, trying to make her summon the magical force. Aeris arched her back, gasping. The sound was musical to the man. Then he remembered, he couldn't overwork the woman. The harder he pressed in the victim's mind the more capable he was of killing them. He didn't want to kill her.

'Why not? Why can't I kill her? Force her to do it and then kill her!' the man grinned, baring his teeth.

"It…won't work…" the woman gasped.

"Why not!?" he shook her. This snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Stop it!" She shoved the man. "It won't work! Why won't you listen to me!? You selfish man!"

"What did you say to me!?" the man sat up, grabbing her shoulders.

"I'm not in the City of the Ancients! It won't work here!" the girl screamed at his face.

"You…you _have_ to be in the city!?" He growled.

"YES!" she screeched.

"Why didn't I think of that!?" the man shouted. "This is impossible! How could I have missed that!?"

"Because you were too busy thinking about yourself!" the woman held onto her wrist. It hurt.

"B, but…the reunion!" the man frowned. "This wasn't supposed to be like this! You! You ruined everything!"

"I ruined everything!?" the girl got to her feet.

"No…" he shook his head, laughing. "You're lying to me again!"

"I'm not lying! It's the truth! You're stalling; you're trying to slow me down so your little friends can catch up!"

"How can you say that!?" she stomped her foot.

He looked down at her. "You have deceived me."

"I would never do such a thing!" the woman hissed. "Why don't you trust me!? Could it be that everything you've told me was a lie!?"

'Damn it!' Sephiroth growled in frustration.

"Never!" he hollered back at her. He glared at her beautiful, sorrowful eyes. How the man wanted to hold her and throw her into the Lifestream at the same time. "I'd never…lie to you."

"What's reunion?" the woman folded her arms.

"Reunion? What do you mean?" he put on his innocent façade.

"You mentioned reunion. Are we meeting someone here?" the woman asked.

"You could say that." The man rubbed his temple. He had to think of something. He glanced at her. She had to be lying to him. She wasn't as innocent as she showed. For all he knew she could have regained all her memory and was toying with him. "Try for me." The man turned to her.

"What?"

"Just try to summon Holy for me." He leaned forward, placing a hand on her shoulder and looking her in the eye. "Just once."

"…Okay…" she sighed, defeated. It was either she complied or he was going to kill her. She didn't know how much longer she could keep up this charade. 'Zack…where are you?' the woman bit her lower lip.

"I'm going to help you concentrate, so just relax." The man whispered to her.

'Oh no!' the woman felt her brain fog over once again. She knew what he was doing and it was too late. She couldn't do a thing about it.

"What are we doing?" he purred.

"Summoning Holy…" her voice was almost robotic.

He grabbed her wrist, focusing his energy on the materia as well. Maybe he could force the energy from her by adding his and the spell would work regardless of location. Why would it only work in the City of 

the Ancients and not the crater? There was an abundance of Lifestream here too. What other reason was there to go to that city?

Sephiroth leaned forward, his chest against her back. He closed his eyes, forcing all he had into the woman. He could feel her pulse rising and her breaths quicken. There was a tingling sensation and then a whining sound. The man opened his eyes to see a bright light emanating from the orb between the woman's fingers. Aeris was chanting in a foreign language. The man smiled. It was working. In minutes he'd have Holy summoned and the planet would be destroyed.

"Have I ever told you, I love you?" the man laughed into the woman's ears. Because of her, Jenova would finally get her domination.

'Almost…' the man smiled.

A low rumble sounded and the crater seemed to shake. Sephiroth frowned.

'Is this from the materia?'

The sound got louder and louder and suddenly there was an explosion in the left corner of the crater's wall. Rocks and a cloud of dust erupted from the surface.

"W, what…?" Aeris mumbled to herself. The bright light flooded backwards into the orb.

"NO!" Sephiroth shouted. "Keep concentrating!" he was panicking, looking between Aeris and the now large hole in the wall.

"What's…that?" Aeris whispered weakly. "I…I don't feel good…"

Sephiroth glared at the hole. He had no idea what was going on. His eyes widened at the sight before him. A body flew from the opening. Boy did that body look painfully familiar.

"Impossible!" he clenched his fists.

"Zack?" Aeris sat up on her knees.

The body lay on the ground a moment; his clothes were more torn and battered than Aeris remembered. He also had quite a few wounds.

'Something's wrong…' the woman gasped.

"Zack!" Sephiroth clasped his hands together. "What a surprise!" he glared out the corner of his eyes at the woman on the ground. He raised a brow when he noticed how shocked the woman was.

'Maybe she wasn't expecting him.' His faced curled into one of confusion.

"How many times do you have to die in order to stay dead?" the silver haired man approached the body on the ground.

"Ugh…" a low groan sounded from the man. "Infinite…" he managed a word. Sephiroth chuckled at the man's effort.

Sephiroth halted when he heard a series of other sounds coming from the hole in the wall. "Brought your friends, no doubt?" Sephiroth reached for the hilt of his sword. He waited for the new intruders to enter.

One by one wandering clones hopped out of the tunnel and dropped to the floor. There was a small group of about five. They sauntered over to Zack whom was trying to get to his feet. He appeared to have lost a lot of blood.

"Zack!" Aeris managed to get out.

"Hey…" the man managed a small wave as the clones shoved him back to the ground roughly.

"Ah! My sweet clones. How nice of you to bring my enemy here!" Sephiroth muttered through closed teeth. "Even though I don't remember ever ordering you to."

The clones ignored the man. They struggled to keep him down.

"Mother's plans, no doubt? She thinks of everything." Sephiroth chuckled. He turned to Aeris. His black, gloved fingers dug into her hair and tugged on her pink ribbon. She gasped, holding onto the spot where it had been.

"H, hey!" she hollered angrily.

"It's for our cause, my dear." The man stepped away from the woman. He approached the overcrowding pile of clones. "Get off." He ordered.

The clones stared at the man. They seemed to wonder what he was doing. Sephiroth pulled out his sword, threatening them. One by one they stepped out of the way. Sephiroth leaned down and grabbed the young man's wrists.

"Nice to see you. Did you miss me?" Sephiroth taunted.

"Not…really." Zack coughed. His blue eyes glanced across the way to the woman sitting on the ground. She watched him, her hand over her mouth. She looked frightened. "You didn't hurt her…did you?"

"Now, why would I do something like that?" Sephiroth chuckled. He wrapped the ribbon around the man's wrists tightly. Zack groaned in pain. "To keep you from playing any of your tricks on me." He looked at the man's back. "See you lost your weapon. Number one in the rulebook, always be aware of where your weapon is."

"Don't lecture me." Zack rolled his eyes.

"But it's always so much fun. I love to see the exasperated look in your eyes." Sephiroth stood. He nodded to the clones. "Watch him."

"They're coming…you know that?" Zack grinned.

"Good. I've been expecting them." Sephiroth smiled. "A bigger audience to watch me conquer."

The silver haired man sat behind Aeris once again. He sat his hands on her shoulders. The woman jumped, her attention pulled away from Zack. "Now…" he began. He ran his hands down Aeris' arms and over her hands. His eyes stared into Zack's. His brought his lips to Aeris' ear once again. "What're we doing?"

Aeris gasped and stiffened.

"Sephiroth! Leave her alone!" Zack struggled with the tie around his wrists. He showed his teeth, growling. He was desperate to watch Aeris being manipulated once again by the evil man. He was chilled by the words Aeris spoke next, now aware of Sephiroth's plan.

"Summoning Holy…" Aeris ghostly voice spoke.

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Ok. Ending it here! I hope you all enjoyed it. Poor Cloud, will he ever gain confidence in himself? And poor Zack. Will he ever keep himself out of trouble? Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	30. Chapter 30

Hello all! Hope you enjoy the last few chapters and these to come! I know I like them more, maybe because im more motivated and theres more action going on again! Please leave me reviews and let me know what you think so I can improve and continue to satisfy your tastes! –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 30**

Zack winced as he rubbed his wrists together for the thousandth time, trying to get a release on the tie binding him. He was sure he was bleeding now, the sores and cuts proved the tiny pink ribbon to be a strong adversary. He grunted, leaning forward, digging his nails into the cloth.

"Damn it, Sephiroth! Leave her alone!" he ground out.

There was silence. Sephiroth had no interest in the man on the floor, and neither did Aeris. She was too busy chanting in the Ancient language, murmuring about the coming of holy and the sacrifice that will save the planet. A loud exasperated sigh sounded from the man's throat. He was too tired to take care of a pink ribbon!

'I'm so weak…why?' the man looked down at himself. He frowned. His clothing was soaked with his blood. He was too preoccupied with Aeris that he didn't notice the severe wounds caused by the wandering clones. They certainly had sharp claws. Zack shook his head, his vision blurring.

'This isn't right…Even if I lost this much, I should still be able to get rid of this RIBBON!' the man nodded off a moment. He jolted, frightened. 'There's something else going on!' he twisted his head to get a look at the clones staring down at him.

Their claws were stained red. Zack squint his eyes. A clear liquid seemed to drip from the pointed tips.

'Damn…' he shuddered. 'Poison…'

Zack struggled to straighten himself up, to watch Aeris before he blacked out. The young woman's pink lips moved slowly. But it was an unnatural speed. Sephiroth rested his chin on the girl's shoulder. His hands traced lines up and down her arms at a time creeping pace. Everything was moving extremely slow. Zack wobbled unknowingly. He couldn't brace himself any longer. 'Why would they poison me?' He bit his lip, trying to focus.

Sephiroth straightened his back. A large smile was pasted on his face. Things couldn't get any better. His green eyes gazed at Zack to gloat. Sephiroth then frowned.

'What's wrong with him?' the silver haired man glowered. Zack was paling more and more each second. He was wobbling like the slum drunk. His forehead glistened with sweat.

"Stay here my darling. I'll only be a moment." Sephiroth whispered to the woman's ear. Aeris didn't reply. She continued on as strong as ever.

The man rose to his feet, stretching slightly, listening to the loud cracking of his spine. He strode over to where Zack was. In a hurry the clones surrounded the man taking a defensive. Sephiroth halted.

"What's this?" he asked with genuine curiosity. The clones only stared. Sephiroth quickly dismissed their odd behavior. "Get out of the way." But the clones didn't budge.

"Did you not hear me?" he folded his arms. "I told you to get out of my way!" Sephiroth lunged forward. His gloved hands wrapped around one of the clones neck. In an instant the furious onslaught was on! Claws dove forward, but none of them were even successful in scathing the man. Sephiroth sprang backward, his hands around the clone's throat still. He dragged the beast through the air, not caring about the fact he broke its neck.

"How dare you defy me!" the man growled. He flung the clone into the far corner, it cracking against the wall like a porcelain doll. "I've ordered you to move away from the man and you shall do as I say!" out came the massive Masamune. It sliced forward, missing the group. Their speed was phenomenal. The group had disappeared.

'When did they get this fast!?' he was awed.

The next move was unexpected. He felt a sharp sting in his back. Sephiroth hitched. One of the clones had gotten him with its claws. Sephiroth easily swung the sword over his head, jabbing it downward to stab the creature in its collar bone. The beast dropped to the floor.

"Why are you doing this?" the man growled. "I should have power over you!" He lifted his yellow orb and froze. There was no way he could focus on something else! He needed to control Aeris. The man looked back at the woman. Her pace had slowed and it seemed she was having a harder time concentrating. "Damn!"

The clones drifted back to where Zack was, now only three. They covered him like a dome. Sephiroth watched the young man's face. It was incomprehensive, his skin whiter than the clones. Sephiroth felt a chill run down his spine. Why would the clones deceive him? Why would Mother betray him?

"Mother!" Sephiroth called out in a panic. "W, why!?" he held onto the sides of his head. He could feel the dumbfounded gaze of Zack's blue eyes on him. The glow was dulling. "Nothing…nothing is working like it should!" he watched the black haired man.

"You! I wanted to kill you! Not these…worthless excuses for monsters! Not these…these failed experiments!" Sephiroth took on his father's characteristic, babbling and spitting. "How am I supposed 

to do all of this by myself!? Why!? Why can't I have an ally!?" he dropped to his knees, his sanity breaking.

'Join me…Zack…' Sephiroth repeated the words in his head. He tried to get Zack to join his side in the past but it was to no avail. "You all will DIE!!" the man got to his feet, sword in hand. "Holy will take you all out!!" he raised his weapon, ready to strike.

A rock skipped across the floor from behind the man, hitting his leather boot. It came from where Aeris was kneeling. Shocked, the man twisted. He half expected to see the woman on her feet, her hands on her tiny waist, glaring. Instead he found Aeris was where she should be, her lips still moving. There were two dark, cloaked figures beside her, watching with the outmost curiosity.

"What?" Sephiroth fumbled with his grip on his suddenly very heavy weapon.

A white, shaking finger threatened to poke the woman. "Don't touch her!" Sephiroth stumbled, twisting like a cat and scuttling across the distance between him and the praying woman. The two figures lifted their heads to look at the interference. They were clones. Two of Hojo's first prototype clones. The biggest failures Sephiroth had ever seen, just looking at the shaking and weak siblings made his blood boil.

"Mother?" one clone muttered. It looked back down at Aeris innocently, a finger pointing.

"Mother?" Sephiroth repeated the word. Now he was thoroughly confused.

"Mother!" the other clone pointed, matching his brother's actions.

"Not mother!" the silver haired man cursed. "Aeris!" His interest in the wandering clones were now gone. "What the hells' going on!?"

The first clone leaned forward, ready to poke.

"Don't touch her!" Sephiroth shoved the thing out of the way. "Your hands will never be allowed to touch her! You filthy things!"

The two clones looked up at the man. Their eyes held a sad emotion, like one of a child who was slapped. How much they reminded him of the weak and trembling Cloud Sephiroth once knew. They looked familiar.

"It can't be…" Sephiroth murmured. "How did you two get back here?" the man grit his teeth.

"Mother!" they hopped. Sephiroth groaned. They may have been revived, but the two were just as stupid as ever. He wondered how any of the clones managed to gain any intelligence over time.

"Mother? Why would she send you?" Sephiroth asked sternly.

"Reunion! Reunion!" the hobbled together, smiles on their faces. Sephiroth squeezed the bridge of his nose.

"And how are you supposed to be of any use to me?" he grabbed the hilt of his sword. Sephiroth figured he should just kill them now and spare himself a very large headache.

"You?" they stopped. They looked at him like he was crazy.

"Yeah! ME!" Sephiroth barked. "I have no use for you. Just go sit in the corner and…play." He waved a hand at them dismissively.

"Play…no time to play."

"Well then think of a plan to get rid of those guys!" the ex-general pointed at the mass of wandering clones around Zack. "They are in the way."

"…" the two clones tilted to the side to look around the towering man. They watched a moment, as if trying to sink in the sight. "There!" one pointed cheerfully. He looked at the other.

"There!" his sibling replied. Together they joined the party of clones.

"Idiots…" Sephiroth grumbled.

"Hmm…" a soft moan sounded from the woman on the floor.

"Aeris!" Sephiroth looked down at the girl. She was waking up, her materia's light fading. "Not done yet!" he slumped to the floor. He grabbed his yellow orb, preparing to set her mind into confusion once again. The woman toppled over into his chest.

"Seph…Sephiorth?" her heavy lidded eyes opened to reveal shining jade eyes. She looked up at him. His breath was caught. She was no longer focusing on her magic! Her hand wrapped around his middle as she snuggled in closer to absorb his body heat.

"N, no…not yet, Aeris. We need to finish this." The man straightened her out once again. She moaned in protest.

'DAMN IT!! Straight to hell!' Sephiroth felt the veins in his head pounding. Aeris wobbled, she stared at her hand. 'This isn't right. The clones are screwing everything up! Zack ruined everything! And…Aeris! Aeris is so disobedient!' the man sighed heavily.

"S, Sephiroth…you're bleeding…" the woman whispered.

'She's so…bleeding?' the man looked down at her. "Um…yes. I had a bit of an accident."

"You don't look so well." The woman tilted her head.

Sephiroth groaned. He supposed now that Aeris summoning Holy was out of the question. She was awake, the materia in her fingers forgotten.

"I'm fine." The man frowned.

"You're shaking." She pointed at the man's fingers. She spoke lightly, as if she had just been awakened from a very deep sleep. She currently wasn't aware of her situation.

Sephiroth looked down at himself. He noticed that he was indeed shaking. And boy, did his head hurt.

"What…" the woman rubbed her eyes as she took in her surroundings. They were on a rounding pathway surrounding a large drop off bottomed with the green ooze of the Lifestream. In the center of the gap was a single pillar only a few feet wide. She noticed the gathering of bodies across from them. Zack was huddled against the wall, his body limp, his head hanging. "What's going on!?" she screamed.

"Nothing of your concern." Sephiroth struggled to his feet.

"Nothing of my concern!? What happened to Zack!?" she joined his side.

"Hell if I know…" Sephiroth shrugged carelessly. "Ask them."

"Sephiroth, help him!" She turned to the man. "Is…he okay?"

"Why would I help him?"

"Because you're a kind man!" Aeris stomped her foot.

"Kind!?" he scoffed. "What man has been feeding you that bullshit?"

"I know you are! Please!" she grabbed the man's shoulders.

"Never." Sephiroth spat. "He's my enemy."

"But why? Why is he your enemy!?"

"Because he's human!" he let the word slip.

"What?"

"You heard me, Aeris." Sephiroth gave in. He no longer cared. Everything else had failed; why not just tell her the truth for once?

"Why-?" a sound emitted from the tunnel beside them, interrupting Aeris' banter.

"Oh…please…tell me it's more intruders." Sephiroth muttered sarcastically. He was getting tired of this whole charade. He lifted his sword, ignoring the pain it caused him just to move. "More people to kill."

* * *

"This isn't the crater." Elmyra huffed.

"I know." Reeve replied nonchalantly.

"But my daughter! I need to see her!" the woman followed the man up to a small cottage.

"In good time, Mrs. Gainsborough." Reeve nodded. "For now, it's far too dangerous."

"Dangerous!? If my daughter's in danger, I need to be there to take care of her!" the woman placed her hands on her hips.

"We will see them soon enough. For now do not worry about a thing. My friends are more than capable of taking care of her. You must have faith in them."

"You mean the same friends who let her die in the first place!?" the woman grumped.

"…Precisely." Reeve sighed.

"Where are we?"

"I have some people I'd like you to meet. I think that they may be able to help you in this time of distress."

"How can these people know what I'm feeling?"

"Oh, they know." Reeve smirked. His hand rapped gently at the front door of the cottage.

They waited silently on the front step. It took a minute and the door slowly swung open. A middle aged woman only a few years younger than Elmyra stood in the doorway.

"Mrs. Gainsborough, I'd like for you to meet Mrs. Fair." Reeve introduced the women.

* * *

"Almost there!" Cloud called over his shoulder.

The group hastened their pace.

"What if we're too late?" Yuffie called out.

"We won't be!" Tifa called back.

"We can't afford to think that way, Yuffie." Vincent said in a warning tone. He stared at Cloud's back. He could almost see the urgent feelings boiling inside the man.

"Everyone prepare yourself!" The spiky haired man ordered. The group neared the end of the tunnel, light exploding into their vision.

Loud boots echoed in the corridor. Cloud took a deep breath as they reached the clearing, feeling the open air of the large room inside the crater. He shrugged away the thoughts of his nightmare that he seemed to have only moments ago.

The group entered the clearing, Cloud's head looking every direction. His mind took a second to comprehend everything. Aeris stood in the wide open, there was a group of clones surrounding something, and there was no Sephiroth.

"GAH!" a noise emitted from the man.

It was too fast. Cloud was slammed into, something caught his throat and he was lifted into the air and pressed against the nearby wall.

"CLOUD!" Tifa slowed to a halt, the others doing the same.

"Why won't you leave me alone?" Sephiroth's voice was airy. He glared at the young man with hateful eyes. Cloud struggled, his legs kicking.

Aeris watched in horror, not sure what to do herself.

"ACK!" he managed to get out a horrible sound.

"I love that sound." Sephiroth mused. "It's perfect coming from your lips."

"I…hate…you…" Cloud gasped for air.

"Sephiroth! Leave him alone!" Tifa screamed.

'No more! No more of this!' the woman clenched her fists.

"Ah, the _weak_ one." Sephiroth looked over his shoulder at the angry woman.

Tifa faltered a moment. He had called her weak. The thought plagued her mind. Was she really a weak person? Was she too soft? Was she not strong enough to protect Cloud?

"I'm gonna kick your ass!" the girl growled. She took off, her boots digging into the rocky surface.

"Try." Sephiroth removed one hand from the sheath of his sword which was being used to hold Cloud up under his jaw.

"Tifa!" Barret called out to the woman. It was too late. "Come on!" the large man called out to the others.

Tifa screamed as she kicked upward at the silver haired man. His hand effortlessly caught her foot, holding her leg in the air. She gasped. The man lifted, pulling her supporting leg out from under her. She dangled in the air.

"Impressive…" the evil man muttered dryly.

"Tifa!" Cloud coughed.

"Cloud!" the woman called out to the man. She looked at the group of clones by the far wall. In between the gaps she noticed Zack on the floor. "Help him!"

Cloud's eyes darted to where Tifa's were only a second ago. Tifa lifted her dangling leg; she kicked upward again, catching Sephiroth under the chin. It wasn't enough power to knock the man down, but it did distract him. Cloud lifted his own feet, shoving against the man's chest. As he did so, Tifa wrapped her leg around his arm and swung her full body weight around, tugging the man downward and around. She threw his body over hers, her grip around his arm never faltering. Sephiroth smacked the ground hard, landing head over heels on his shoulder. Cloud dropped to the floor. He didn't hesitate a moment. He sprinted for the group of clones, pulling out Zack's Buster sword.

"You're not going anywhere." Tifa struggled with the man on the floor. She kept her legs wrapped tightly around his arm, pressing her feet against his chest and her arms squeezing his hand and forearm to give her leverage.

"Nice…counter…" Sephiroth growled through clenched teeth. "But it does have a weakness." He raised his free hand. It glowed with magic. Tifa gasped as the spell was directed toward her head. It whizzed by her and flowed at an intense speed behind her. The woman turned her head to see a large barrier form around her approaching friends. They all slammed against an invisible wall, dropping to the floor. Sephiroth's chest vibrated with laughter.

"Now the fun begins." A sadistic smirk formed over the man's face.

Sephiroth rolled to his side toward Tifa. His free hand gripped her jacket at her chest. He pulled on her, lifting her off the ground again. This gave his trapped arm more freedom to move. The man rolled to his feet, carrying the woman with him.

"Tifa!" Aeris covered her mouth. 'Why am I just standing here!?' her gaze fell on Zack. She hoped the man was still alive. Urgently she fumbled with the orb in her hand.

Tifa's legs dropped. She hung in the air, her hands around Sephiroth's wrists. She shivered at the smile he gave her, the same one he had given her when he cut her and threw her down the stairs in the Mt. Nibel reactor. She struggled a moment, but to no avail.

"Join your friends." The man threw the woman carelessly into the barrier her friends were in. She sank through its wall and hit the ground on her side, rolling across the ground and into the far rock wall by the tunnel.

"Tifa!" Barret hollered.

Cloud was almost there. 'Only a few more feet'. He stumbled after hearing Tifa's cries of pain. He looked over his shoulder momentarily. Sephiroth was nowhere to be seen.

"Zack!" Cloud called out, facing back around. He skidded and collided with Sephiroth's fist. Cloud crumbled backward onto the ground, the sword that was once in his hands flying in the air and scraping across the floor toward the group of clones.

'Hate it when he does that…' Cloud braced himself for the fall.

"Poor Tifa…" Sephiroth shook his head. Cloud struggled to straighten himself up. He looked back again at the mention of the woman. "I certainly hope I didn't break anything."

"Tifa." Cloud sputtered. The woman was lying on the floor. Her back was facing him. Barret was down beside her, calling out to her. "B, bastard!" Cloud growled as Sephiroth drug the man by his throat once again.

"I'm getting sick of all this." The silver haired man hissed. "This _used_ to be a lot of fun, but I'm through with playing these games!"

Sephiroth shoved Cloud onto the ground. As the man collided with the rock Sephiroth reached for his sword. He frowned. It wasn't strapped to him any longer. Green eyes searched the area where he and Tifa had been only seconds before. Sure enough, there on the ground, was his Masamune.

"Fine!" the man ground out. "There's more than one way to skin a cat."

Cloud jumped up to his feet, pulling out his second sword.

"And what's that going to do?" the general mused.

"Take you out all over again." Cloud clenched his jaw.

"Eh…" he shrugged. "I don't think so."

Sephiroth closed his eyes, focusing his energy. The force exploded into Cloud, sending him back fifteen or more feet. He tumbled helplessly. Before Cloud could even skid to a halt, Sephiroth had teleported behind the young man. He caught Cloud around his shoulders and spun around, throwing the man backward toward the barrier where his friends waited. The blonde groaned in pain. He sat up, trying to get his bearings straight. Sephiroth, however, didn't let up. He raised a fist, preparing a spell. The ground before Cloud began shaking. He jumped to his feet, watching as the rock cracked and crumbled. He stumbled back, lifting his sword trying his best to prepare his own spell. But it was too late. The quake spell was only a diversion. Behind the exploding ground was a crackling lightning spell. Cloud was shot rearward into the barrier. He pushed through one side and crashed into the other, dropping to the floor.

"tsk- tsk." Sephiroth waved a finger at Cloud. "You were never one to concentrate during battle. That's what makes you weak, Cloud. You care too much about your surroundings."

"At…least I have…feelings." The said man leaned against the barrier, catching his breath. "You're one to never understand them."

"And I am to care?" Sephiroth chuckled. He bent down to lift his sword.

"It's what makes us human." Barret frowned.

"You're forgetting something." Sephiroth raised his hands. "I'm not human."

"You're human enough to bleed." Vincent Valentine glared. The two experimental men shared a gaze.

"Everything bleeds, regardless of race, species, or life form." Sephiroth turned away. His hands secured the weapon back around his waist. "Now…I'm tired."

"You heard him." Cid drawled. "Anything can bleed. Ya know what that means?"

"Anything can die." Red XIII growled.

"What's going on over there?" Kadaj watched the group of clones.

"Zack's over there." Shelke narrowed her gaze.

"The clones are guarding him." Cloud said. He stared at the dropped sword only feet away from Zack.

"Why?" Yuffie asked.

"To keep him from fighting, most likely!" Cait Sith mewed.

"No." Kadaj leaned against the invisible wall, trying to get a better look.

"What do you mean?" Shelke asked.

"Something's wrong. Something's not right." The clone shook his head. "Look."

"What is it?" the young looking girl asked.

"Those clones." He pointed. "The ones with the black cloaks. They look familiar?"

"The one's from the lab!" She gasped.

"What? What are you talking about?" Barret inquired.

"Those two clones! They were in the lab! Damn it!" Shelke cursed. "They stole the last two test tubes of Jenova's blood!"

"Why would they need those!?" Yuffie yelled.

"Who knows?" Shelke shrugged. "But…like Kadaj, I have a bad feeling about all of this."

'Zack… get out of there.' Cloud thought silently.

"Cloud…" a moan sounded from the floor.

"Tifa!" He dropped next to the woman. A hand went to her hair, pushing it out of her face.

"I'm okay." She spoke in almost a whisper.

"Now!" Sephiroth's voice rang out, gathering everyone's attention. "You shall all watch my victory!" He turned to face Aeris. He noticed a faint glow to her materia.

"What'd you do?" the man grabbed her wrist staring at the orb.

"N, nothing." The woman stuttered.

Sephiroth's glare left the woman and traveled across the crater to where Zack lay. The man was awake now, struggling with the tie on his wrist once again. He looked much more colorful.

"Aeris…" Sephiroth dragged out the woman's name.

"Y, yes?" She batted her lashes innocently.

"Amazing…how quickly Zack got to feeling better." Sephiroth noticed that most of the man's bleeding had been stopped. "Jenova's cells certainly work fast, don't they?"

"Um…yeah." The woman nodded. Sephiroth rolled his eyes.

"You're coming with me!" he snatched up her arm and tugged her against him. He stared at those in the barrier. He smiled at their snarls. Sephiroth's hand rested on Aeris' hip. The woman bit her lip, unsure of what to do. They stood a moment, silence overtaking them. The woman fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Aiee!" She shrieked as she suddenly floated off the ground. Her head looked all around. Everyone's stares raised with her, following her every move. Then she noticed that Sephiroth's feet too were off the ground.

"Easy, Aeris." The man said calmly.

The two levitated toward the center of the gap above the Lifestream. Slowly they settled on the small rock pillar. Aeris stood close to the man, thinking this pillar looked very much unstable.

"Seph…iroth!" an angry chant sounded from where the clones were.

"Ah." Sephiroth redirected his attention to Zack, who was now standing, the clones around him watching stupidly. Zack pulled his hands apart and effortlessly snapped the ribbon around his wrists in half. "I see you've gotten lose." The general pointed out amused.

"Hand her over." The dark haired man ordered. The look in his eyes sure was frightening. Sephiroth, however, was unfazed.

"I don't think that is going to happen. You see…" he pulled Aeris closer to himself. "She and I are having so much fun. I think we're going to stay here for a while." Sephiroth began to feel his headache resurfacing, having momentarily forgotten about the wound in his back. "Those claws certainly are 

amazing." Sephiroth pointed out. "I wonder…what type of poison they use?" he stuck a hand on his back, feeling the sticky blood.

"I'm going to kill you." Zack shook his head, ignoring the other man's statement. The words were icy and cold.

Aeris watched the two men. The clash between their stares was almost more violent than the physical attacks Sephiroth did to Cloud and Tifa.

"Really?" the man chuckled. The laugh sent chills through the woman. "This will be amusing."

"Don't think lightly of me, Sephiroth. I know you're poisoned. You can't hold out much longer."

"Well, you see, that's the great thing about Jenova's cells. They can regenerate so quickly. But, I did see how weak you had gotten. And that would cause some problems." Sephiroth looked down at Aeris and shrugged a shoulder. "It's alright. I have a backup." He squeezed the young woman, giving her a small reassuring hug. He enjoyed the look on Zack's face.

"Back, backup?" the woman bit her lip.

"You and that beautiful materia of yours." Sephiroth smiled, not looking at her. "Do me a favor and give me a little boost."

"Um…I can't." the woman shuddered. "I used all of my strength."

"Lies…" Sephiroth frowned. He rolled his gaze downward at her. It was a threatening glare, one that reminded her of her mother's glare when she didn't do all her housework, or when she came home late. "Just do it."

"O, okay." The woman gulped.

"Aeris! Don't!" Zack clenched his fists. The man watched her, a worried expression on his face.

"I…I…" she looked up at Sephiroth.

"Okay, do as Zack says." The man pulled out his sharp blade. "You just won't get to keep those pretty little hands of yours." Zack froze at this statement.

"You're cheap!" the ex-SOLDIER cursed.

"Anything to win a battle, right?" Sephiroth chortled.

"…" Zack was defeated yet again. There was a long silence. "Do it, Aeris… It's okay."

"But…" She looked upward at Sephiroth. The man was showing his true colors now, and they indeed were black.

"I thought you cared about me. Was I mistaken?" He was taunting her now.

"…" Aeris lifted her orb, concentrating. A small spell erupted from the piece and flowed toward the man's injury. Sephiroth gave a small sigh of relief. He almost forgot what it felt like before he had that treacherous headache.

"You're too kind." He murmured mockingly.

"Am I done?" the woman looked away, feeling ashamed of herself.

"Yes, but you must remain at my side." Sephiroth reached into his pocket, fingering the yellow orb. "I'm going to put on a show for you."

Zack glared, unsure as to what it was Sephiroth was doing. The man looked about himself, trying to think of a plan to get to his sword, defeat the clones, and make his way to the pillar to stab Sephiroth. His eyes met the other man's once again. He made sure his gaze never left Sephiroth's.

'By the time I moved, he would already be on the defensive. He's waiting for me to strike, waiting for me to do something stupid…' Zack closed his eyes. He felt dizzy. He shook the feeling away, dismissing it as a side effect from the poison that was in his body. He looked down at the ground and frowned, his sword was gone.

'What!?' the man froze. Tiny blades of grass spurted from the rocky ground. A rumbled sounded from above. Zack lifted his head, watching the cloudy sky that suddenly appeared overhead.

_Plop_

A droplet of water dripped on the man's cheek. Zack took in his surroundings. The clones were gone. He could no longer see Sephiroth and Aeris, none of his friends and no longer was he in the crater. Everything was replaced by green grass, a gentle breeze, and a silhouette of what seemed to be a city in the distance. Zack looked behind him, his heart skipping a beat.

'What's going on!?' the man gasped.

He felt the familiar weight on his shoulders and back. He stared at the armor he wore, the familiar uniform from SOLDIER.

'Not happening…' the man blinked. There was silence all around. Then…

_CLICK…_

He heard the familiar sound of a guns cocking.

"What's wrong with him?" Aeris whispered.

"Just watch. You'll see." Sephiroth mused.

Zack seemed to be frozen, a look of fear on his face. He looked about himself, clueless.

"What's happening to him?" Yuffie asked.

"I'm not sure." Cloud watched cautiously.

After a few minutes Zack twitched. He was staring at the ground, talking to no one in particular. His hand went over his shoulder in a familiar way. It was as if he was unsheathing his weapon. But his weapon was next to him on the floor.

"He's crazy!" Cid gawked.

"No." Cloud placed a hand on his forehead.

Zack frowned. The look on his face was covered in dread. He held his arms out in front of him, pulling his imaginary sword in front of his body. It was a noble stance, but one that looked ridiculous in reality without knowing what he was actually doing.

"What is he doing?" Tifa scratched her head.

"I tell you, he's goin crazy!" Cid drawled.

"I agree." Barret nodded.

"NO." Cloud muttered more sternly.

"What is it?" Tifa asked.

"Sephiroth's in his mind…" Cloud lowered his head. "And it isn't good." He had a depressing look on his face.

"What?" Yuffie urged him to continue.

"He's making Zack remember the events that took place outside Nibelheim… I remember that stance…" Cloud looked at the others. "Zack thinks he's defending himself from the Shinra troops."

* * *

Okay. Ending it here for tonight. Something to look forward to next week: Zack reliving the wonderful events before he was shot down outside Nibelheim. More action and suspense coming up! Thanks for reading and reviewing!-Annubis


	31. Chapter 31

How's everyone doing? Good I hope! Thanks for all the readers and reviewers, I appreciate it. I hope you all enjoy this following chapter! Let me know what you think!

NOTE: I have not played Crisis Core and I have not watched the videos of it on websites so I do not know the entire storyline and I can only speculate on certain scenes from the past. I hope I am accurate and it is enough to let me slide by. I just didn't want to ruin the game for myself by pre-watching the cut scenes before the game's English release. Oh and a WARNING: there's some lemony type stuff in this chapter as well. Not too descriptive, but enough to get the idea. –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 31**

"He's making Zack remember the day he was killed by the Shinra soldiers?" Tifa narrowed her eyes, watching the ex-SOLDIER in the distance. He was standing still as if beginning his early morning meditation.

"And you know what that means?" Cloud frowned deeply.

"What?" the woman faced the blonde, watching his emotions with concern.

"The way Confuse works; the victim can be placed in other worlds based off of memories. They can re-live the past, be confused to think people around him are not who they actually are…" Tifa swallowed thickly. She knew what that was like. "…and make him believe he's in a different location. The person can even think they are being attacked when they are not… and feel artificial pain. But that isn't the extent of the materia." Cloud hesitated.

"You mean you can do more?" Tifa bit her lower lip.

"When the materia is maxed out it pushes the spell's power to its limit. If Zack feels enough pain and loses himself completely in the illusion, the brain will shut down." The blonde slammed a fist against the barrier wall surrounding him and his comrades, losing his cool nature.

"Shut down!? You mean Zack can die if his body thinks it's real enough?"

"The brain is actually very weak. It can't tell the difference between real life and the artificial world. Because of this it thinks the body's actually being attacked and will shut down the internal organs. If Zack thinks he dies, then he's dead."

"We've gotta stop him!" Yuffie shouted.

"How the hell you 'spose we do that?" Barret folded his arms.

"I'm thinking…" Cloud pouted.

"The only way we can get out is if the barrier spell deteriorates." Vincent spoke. "This spell is the maxed level spell. Sephiroth can easily keep us contained in here as long as he wants, that is if his concentration doesn't break."

"We'd need an outside source to get us out." Shelke added.

"That means…" Cloud turned his gaze to where Aeris stood next to Sephiroth.

"Aeris." Red nodded. "Either her or Zack. And since Zack's busy at the moment…"

"Aeris has to do it." Cloud shook his head.

"Our lives rest in her hands." Vincent tapped his golden fingers against his arm.

"We can't rely on her! She'll be killed if she tries anything!" Cloud yelled. "Why can't we bust out of this thing!?" he quickly withdrew his weapon and didn't hesitate a moment longer. He sliced and cut and kicked and stabbed the barrier wall. When that didn't work he raised his hand, casting a lightning spell against the wall's surface. The bolts bounced off the sides shocking those inside the invisible fence.

"CLOUD!" they all yelled at the man.

"Stop it!" Yuffie screamed. The bolts slowly ceased. A single crackle sounded once the spell was removed. Everyone shuffled, groaning.

"It didn't work." The young man hung his head and dropped to the floor.

"Nice one, Spiky." Barret cursed, pulling up the sleeves of his jacket.

"This place is like a conductor. Any spell cast within its walls will only send it back to its caster." Shelke informed.

"So we're screwed then?" Cid scratched his head as he growled in frustration.

"It seems so." Shelke's answer was followed by a string of curse words from the country man.

"Now what?" Yuffie joined Cloud's side on the floor.

"Sit and wait I suppose." Cloud rested his forehead in his arms.

Sephiroth chuckled quietly to himself. He heard the crackle of Cloud's lightning spell. The thought of seeing the group fried was almost more entertaining than his current duty with Zack.

"What are you doing to him?" Aeris grabbed the man's arm lightly.

"Just playing a game with our little friend." Aeris was not satisfied with that answer.

"You're not hurting him are you?" she said in a low tone.

"Why would I do such a thing?" the man laughed.

Aeris bit her nails, not quite sure what to do. She stared down at Zack who stiffly stood his ground. Her green gaze dragged over the crater toward her friends in the invisible wall. They all seemed tired and frustrated.

'I wish I knew what to do to help.' Aeris bobbed impatiently on the balls of her feet. 'Why am I so stupid? Was I always this useless on the battlefield?'

"Gah!" a sound emitted from Zack's throat.

'ZACK!' the woman gasped. She stepped forward, getting a better look at the stumbling man. 'What's happening!?'

* * *

Zack's breathing was no longer calm. There was too much to worry about. Cloud was beside him, trembling and whimpering. Midgar was right behind the man, he was so close to reaching Aeris, to getting home, to lying in her arms. The man licked his lips, waiting impatiently. He didn't know what to do. He could make the first move and be shot down by hundreds of bullets. Or he could stand there, and still receive the same fate. Zack looked over his shoulder at the beams of light cast through the dark clouds shining on his salvation, the plate of the city of Midgar. Zack looked back, the guns were loaded and ready to fire. He could see the tiny black holes in each and every single barrel.

The man held his sword firmly against his chest. He took a deep breath, ready for his final battle.

'All…all I want is my freedom!' the man screamed.

LINE

"It's starting!" Cloud jumped to his feet.

"Already!?"

"ZACK! Get outta there! Leave me there!" Cloud banged against the wall. He froze when he heard familiar words.

"CLOUD! RUN!" the words erupted into the cavern.

Zack stumbled backward.

* * *



_BANG_!

The first shot fired.

It pierced him in the shoulder.

_BANG_!

The second flew through his side.

_BANG_!

The third went through his thigh.

_BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG!_

Zack gasped as each penetrating piece of lead exploded in his body. He tried his best to continue moving, to continue his attack, but nothing was responding anymore.

'No…not like this…please.' Blue eyes rolled upward to face the thundering sky. At least he thought it was thunder, perhaps it was only the roar of gunfire.

Dozens of clips emptied into the man.

CRACK! It was the sound of his shoulder armor giving out, a bullet shattering the guard. The man gasped, choking on the rising thick liquid in his throat. He felt the ligaments and muscle tear as he stumbled backwards, the sickly sound of his bones popping as they were cracked by the projectiles. His arms dropped, unable to operate anymore.

"GAH!" he coughed, blood spurting from his lips, the familiar metal taste in his mouth.

He no longer felt the pain. He could only listen as he slowly fell. He could see his splatters of blood spray against the rocks and grass of the cliff he stood upon. His skin slid open as bullets sprayed over him, wounding his face and arms and legs, cutting him to pieces just as much as they blew holes into him. He heard the soft whizz and buzz as a few nearly missed him.

'Cloud…help…' Zack grunted.

_Thud_.

His heavy body hit the ground, shaking the planet like a giant. He lay still, unable to move. The black haired man's hand twitched. For the first time he noticed he no longer had his weapon. It lay in the dirt at his side. He coughed quietly, unable to control the drowning sensation.

"_It may be better to lie on your stomach. I don't know the answer myself but I could only assume death would be easier that way, you wouldn't want to drown in your own blood."_ Angeals' depressing lecture rambled in the back of Zack's mind.

'Can't move.' Zack's vision began to blur.

"Z…Z…Zack." It was like a whisper. That voice was so familiar but so forgotten at the same time.

'Cloud… RUN!' Zack narrowed his eyes, trying to think the words loud enough for the man to hear. 'Just…run…'

He noticed it was getting harder to breath. He was cold and wet. His hands and feet tingled, he only assumed due to the amount of blood he just lost.

'Midgar…So close…' The black haired man trembled, his body losing control. 'I…I was so close. I tried…so hard…so hard to see her…Almost. Damn…almost there…'

Blue eyes stared at the churning clouds overhead.

'What a…waste…' Zack closed his eyes.

'Aeris.' A faint smile threatened to turn up the corner of his lip.

"_Zack!" the young woman's voice called out to him. She turned to face him rather quickly. Her brown braid twirled about her. _

"_Hey!" the man waved at her. "How was your day?"_

"_Oh it was alright… My wagon broke again." She pointed a dainty finger toward the sad looking barrel lying in the center of her church. _

"_Broke again, eh?" the man rubbed the back of his neck. _

"_Em hm." She nodded. Her black lashes batted at him._

"_What a troublesome thing." The man looked down at the cart wheel, his hands on his hips. He frowned. The barrow was in perfect shape, it just looked like the wheel was crooked and splintered as if someone tried to smash it. He smiled. "Well, looks like I'll just have to continue checking up on you. Wouldn't want you to have to drag a broken wheelbarrow around, right?" he looked over his shoulder. _

"_Em em." She shook her head. She was quite shy at times with the man. _

_Zack kneeled down to work on the wheelbarrow. He teased her and made her blush all the while. She seemed awkward at times, unsure as to what to do with herself. When he was finished, he stood, wiping his hands on his pants. "Then it's a date. I'll come in to surprise you every once and a while, to make sure you're staying out of trouble." He pointed a finger at her. _

"_Me?" She swayed her hips, her hands behind her back. _

"_That's what I said." The man smiled. "You're trouble you know that?" He approached the woman. _

'Her kiss…' Zack sighed, remembering what it was like to kiss her.

_He gently took her hand. _

_The woman's face was a brilliant red. She lifted her hand to her chest, fiddling with the black ribbon around her neck. _

_Zack placed a hand on the small of her back, gently pulling her against him. As he did so, he gave her no room to push away. He lowered his head and slowly brushed his lips against hers. It was a soft kiss, almost like a butterfly's. He only parted slightly, looking down at her to see if she disapproved. When she didn't say anything he returned to her._

'_So much trouble…' The man smirked. He made a mental note to check up on her every single day of the rest of his life. _

'I'm so sorry, Aeris.' Zack felt his body quake again. He bit his lip, feeling a new burn in his chest. He couldn't hold back the quick jolt of as he suppressed a cry. 'I…promised you…I'd come back. That I'd be okay.'

Blue eyes opened. Zack was reminded of his terrible reality. He was lying in the mud, feeling the droplet's of rain splash onto his face. A stinging tear rolled over his iris, dripping solemnly down his blood stained cheek. He looked from side to side, almost panicking. Everything was darkening. The sight of the clouds were fading, the tingle in his body leaving with his sight. Something large blocked his dying view. Zack knew that silhouette, it was Cloud. Cloud was looking down at him, but Zack didn't care. He was too busy thinking about Aeris' soft skin, the smell of her hair, the feeling of her nails digging through his hair as her pink lips were pressed against his.

'I can…get my own set of wings…'

Thump, thump, thump.

The sound of his heart was unbearable.

Thump…thump…

It throbbed, it ached.

Thump…

All was dark now. There was no more sound, no more visions, and no more memories.

…thump…

"…Aeris…" a soft whisper on his lips. "…take care…of…her…"

Zack was no more.



* * *

"ZA--CK!!" Cloud slammed against the wall. "#damnit, NO!"

Tifa held a hand to her mouth, covering up her worried cries. Zack was lying on the floor now, unmoving. There was no more sound, no more twitching, no more gasps.

"Help him! Help him you idiot! HELP HIM!!" Cloud grabbed the side of his head, slumping to the floor. It was something he tried to block out of his memory, Zack's death outside Midgar.

Fate was fortunate enough to bring the man back not only once but twice. Now Zack was going to meet the same death from so long ago, the one that should have taken him, that should have kept him from breathing ever again.

"Cloud!" Tifa crouched, her hands on his shoulders.

"Help him…you idiot…" Cloud mumbled to himself.

Tifa shuddered, knowing that Cloud was going through a mental battle, regretting his loss of actions that day. A flash of Zack's dead body beneath his hovering one stabbed Cloud's mind.

"Don't just sit there and stare at him! He's dying!" Cloud shook.

"Stop it, Cloud! You're not helping the situation!" Tifa pulled her head downward to look the blonde in the eyes. They were squeezed shut.

'Dying!?' Aeris tensed at Cloud's words.

"Indeed…" Sephiroth nodded, chuckling.

"Dying!?" Aeris hollered. She stomped her foot, looking up at the silver haired man.

"Quiet…"

"NO!" she shoved him. The man shook his head, his concentration fading only a second. "I'm not going to stand here and be quiet as you're killing my friends!"

"Cloud!" Tifa lifted the man's head. "Aeris!" she pointed, her arm in front of his face.

Cloud followed Tifa's finger.

"She's breaking his concentration!" Yuffie cheered.

"Aeris! Stop!" Sephiroth screamed through grit teeth.

"You stop! Stop this! You don't have to do this!" the woman punched his arm.

"Wench!" Sephiroth threw an arm up, knocking Aeris' arms out of the way and hitting her torso. The girl dropped to the floor like a meteor into the planet. Her head smacked against a rather large rock lying at her feet.

"Aeris!" Tifa stood. "No!"

The others watched in horror as a trickle of blood poured from Aeris' temple. Sephiroth paid no mind to the injured woman on the floor.

"Impossible." Vincent covered his forehead.

"What are the odds?!" Cid threw his arms into the air.

"What are we gonna do now?" Yuffie pressed herself against the wall. It was still as strong as ever.

"Die…" Sephiroth muttered. "Just die!"

* * *

'Where am I? What's going on? What happened?' Aeris lay in darkness.

'Planet…what's going on?' the woman felt herself shiver. It was cold.

'Am I dead?' the young woman felt a horrible headache surfacing. 'No…I wouldn't feel pain if I was.'

"Stop it!" a scream sounded.

'Stop it? But I'm not doing anything.' The woman furrowed her brow.

"You're killing him!"

'I'm doing what!?'

"Stop it!"

'Stop what!?'

"Sephiorth!"

'…Sephiroth?'

* * *

Aeris slowly sat up from the cold, rigid ground. She held onto the side of her head feeling the warm blood that seeped from her new wound. With her eyes blurred, she tried her best to figure out what was going on. She closed her eyes tightly as a flood of memories resurfaced.

She could remember his scent, one of the outdoors mixed with his sweet cologne, the type that gave any woman goose bumps no matter who wore it. She would sigh happily as his arms wrapped around her tightly. Zack was always able to keep her warm no matter where they were. She felt she could be anywhere in the world and as long as she had Zack there holding onto her, she would be warm and safe. His soft whispers in her ear were no longer a fading memory but real life as she saw him lying before her like a ghost. He certainly had been gone a long time in the past.

She cried herself to sleep numerous nights, just wishing for him to be there holding her, whispering sweet words to her. She would cry just at the memory of the man standing in her kitchen in the morning singing off key to one of his favorite songs. It was a happy thought but it pained her so to think of his boyish smile and all the corny yet sweet things he would do for her. Whether it was squishing a spider with his new shoes or lending her his jacket when it was cold, Zack did it all without a complaint. The one thing he always told her though was _'I can't wait to get my promotion. Then I can spend all the time in the world with you. Well not all the time, but plenty more than what I do now. I can take you outside; we'll go to Costa Del Sol, just you an' me. But you gotta wait for me. I'll be finished with all this soon. Then you and I will never have any worries.' _

She desperately wished for him to return. She lied to herself, saying she never cared that much. She made him out to be a bad guy. He flirted too much, he probably found another girl and moved on. He went back to his parents. Any excuse at all. She would get angry with him while she sat silently, alone and cold in her room. She would yell into her pillow calling him names trying her best to soothe her anger and sadness. Other days, she would cave in, waiting in her church day and night for him to come in to see her in her pink clothing. She had a closet full of pink, anything to make him happy the next time he saw her, not caring that he was only joking about wanting to see her in that color. She would sit by her windowsill, waiting for a small pebble to fly up and hit the pane next to her face. She cried silently to herself every time she heard the front door of both her home and her church open, any noise that sounded caused by the wind or an animal and saw that it wasn't Zack, that he really wasn't coming back. She had dreams about him, the way they kissed and held each other. She dreamed of their future lives together, those were both the best and the worst. She wanted to stay asleep forever in that artificial world. Once she had awoken and found it nothing more than a dream, she would brood the rest of the day, her eyes red and damp from the tears she shed. No matter how much she tried to blame him, he never would leave her thoughts.

He would sit in her garden and chew on the stem of one of her flowers. Whenever he had time off, he was with her. She would cook for him and they would eat together in her church. He had helped her make a wagon to sell her flowers in the city. He always had to come back because of it always breaking when she used it. The man just gave up and decided to just stay with her all day long until he was called upon. She never would admit it, but that was exactly what she wanted. After he decided to spend all his free days with her, she finally stopped finding excuses as to why the wagon kept breaking.

She remembered the soft sound reverberating off the walls of her church as she spoke to the man and the sound of his quiet sobs as he rocked back and forth on the wooden floor, trying to comfort himself. It took all the strength she could muster to hold back her own tears. Seeing a man like him, so strong, so confident and happy break down was always a reminder to Aeris how depressing this world really was. She remembered the soft shaking as she held onto him, kissing his cheek. He would sniff and wipe at his eyes, giving an agitated groan for showing his weakness. Aeris would give him reassuring whispers. Her breath was like feathers on his neck. His trembling would stop after a moment. She would hold onto him, running her fingers through his hair. In minutes he'd fall asleep in her arms.

The look in his eyes when he had to leave for his last mission was another reminder of how cruel this world was. His blue gaze tried desperately to hold back the pain he felt for leaving her another day. If Aeris had known it would be the last time they'd see each other, she would have tried desperately to keep him with her. She would have locked him in her room all day, making him kiss her and love her without even mention of SOLDIER, Sephiroth, or Nibelheim. _'I'll be back soon, I promise.'_ He gave her a promise. She took that promise and held it close to her heart everyday as she wrote and called him. But, eventually the man stopped responding. There was a time, it went by so fast to her but really was years later, that she felt her heart break, realizing that he wasn't coming back.

Then he was given the miraculous second chance. He was brought back by Hojo. He was granted another chance at life to find her and make her his once again. So much time had gone by; Aeris regretted never continuing her letters to the man, even if he was dead. She wanted so desperately to never let go of him, to hold onto him forever. Knowing that he was back, killed her a little bit. She felt lousy, like she had let him down. No matter how much she tried to forget the pain she never could. And now she realized. She went to Cloud because he was the last reminder in her life of the man who used to be hers.

Now Zack was back once again, another miracle granted by the heavens. She had watched his second horrible death herself. She never saw him like that, wounded, and covered in his own blood. Even then, he smiled at her. He tried his best to keep her safe, protect her of the horrible things in this world. He ignored the pain and the terrible sensation of death overcoming him and smiled at her. It only hurt her more to think that the first time he had been wiped off the planet he was cold and all alone, without her there to hold him.

She felt her heart explode. Tears stung her eyes. Now Sephiroth was making him relive that horrible death. This time she would get to see what happened to him so many years ago when he was shot down by Shinra soldiers.

"Sephiroth! Stop it!" Aeris clenched her fists. She slowly rose to her feet. She felt the rush of blood go to her head and stumbled at the dizziness. She saw menacing green eyes glare at her from behind silver bangs.

She remembered everything, her entire life before she was killed at the hands of Sephiroth. She remembered that night in Nibelheim all too well, and Zack never even laid a hand on her that entire night. Sephiroth had been toying with her and now it was her turn to get revenge.

"What was that?" the man growled. He stared at her in disbelief. She hit her head hard. How was it possible for her to be standing right now?

"Please, stop it!" the woman begged, her tone different. She wrapped her arms around the man. He flinched at the contact. "I don't like seeing you like this! Please don't hurt them anymore! You and I can runaway. We can leave this place, forget about them all!"

The man stared at her wide eyed. He couldn't believe it, she still believed him to be the good guy he played to be. "How's this possible?"

"Please!" Aeris tugged on his arm. She almost strangled him she hugged him so tight around the neck. "I love you!" she whispered. Then she did the thing she was best at, let the waterworks begin.

"What!?" Sephiroth looked down at her.

"I love you." She repeated the words again. Needless to say the audience was shocked by these words just as much as he was. It was perfect. She stole his concentration. The hold on Zack was fading away. She'd have him freed in no time. That is, if it wasn't already too late.

'I love you…' the words repeated over and over in Sephiroth's mind through the next second. He shrugged the words away. 'I'm hearing things.' He turned to face Zack once again, holding the yellow orb into the air.

"I love you!" Aeris grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around. Her hands went straight to cup his face. She rose to her toes and pulled him downward.

Sephiroth stood, his body twisted toward the woman. His hand held out in the air almost behind him, the glow of the materia flickering as he tried to keep his hold on Zack. He hesitantly placed his free hand on her lower back. Aeris pushed into him, her arms wrapping around his neck. The man still held out the orb. The woman moaned softly against his lips, slipping her leg between his.

The sound of the materia dropping to the floor was like a signal of victory.

Sephiroth's other hand slid to her waist, gripping her hip. He stood over her pulling her to him possessively.

'Ok…he dropped it…' Aeris felt her heart pounding. 'Now…what?'

Sephiroth took control, deepening the kiss. Aeris gasped into him, scared by his actions.

'What's this power she has over me?' Sephiroth thought to himself. 'Since when was I so weak?' the man contemplated the question.

'Nibelheim.' he shivered. 'Since the night in Nibelheim…' He reflected on the night.

He enjoyed the way she looked on the sheets. The way she gripped them, her nails digging into the mattress. Sephiroth trailed a hand up and down the woman's back as he remembered the sound of her 

moans, the sound of his name escaping her lips in the darkness. He could have easily had his way with her and left but he stayed with her longer, dangerously too long. But he wanted to hear her scream. He remembered her calls, her gasps, her warm body, and how he had to ruin his goal by placing a hand over her mouth to muffle her; afraid she'd wake the others, the sleep spell he cast on them surely depleted by then. The man had been frozen with fear, finally aware of what he had done in the final moments as Aeris had wrapped her arms around his neck. Sephiroth nearly panicked, casting a sleep spell on the confused woman. He re-tied her bathrobe and slipped the covers over her. Then he dressed himself and readied to leave. Sephiroth remembered the strange shiver he had as he made his way to her window. Something was overwhelming inside him. Then, the evil thoughts came yet once again. He tugged on his black gloves and set them on the pillow beside her head. He couldn't help the excitement running through his veins at the thought of Aeris discovering them in the morning.

Sephiroth smirked. He hadn't kissed a woman in a lifetime it seemed. The man couldn't help but admit the feeling was great, something he had both forgotten and missed. But there was still a bit of unease about it. This was Aeris. This wasn't just some woman off the streets.

"What is she doing!?" Yuffie jumped up and down, pulling her hair.

"…She's…kissing him." Tifa watched, dumbfounded.

"She's…in love with him?" Cloud felt his heart stop. 'How can this be!?'

"No!" Tifa smirked. "Cloud, you have very little faith in her, don't you?"

"What!? She's kissing him!" Cloud faced the brown eyed woman. His mouth dropped when he saw Tifa was holding back a laugh.

"She's so wicked…" she bit her lip.

"You mean?" Cloud turned back to watch the spectacle.

"Distraction." Tifa shrugged.

"Damn that woman's got a cold heart!" Cid whooped.

"Ew. But it won't stop!" Yuffie shivered. "When's she planning on pushing away?"

"When he lets all his guard down." A corner of Vincent's lip curled upward.

Sephiroth raised his hands, not caring that there were staring eyes. Aeris moved her hands away from him, gripping his tightly to prevent him from further venturing into fondling her. Sephiroth opened his eyes, giving her a confused look. She realized her mistake and guided his hands back down her sides, giving him another raw kiss. She opened her eye a second to gaze at the man who was still lying on the ground, unconscious.

"Look!" Shelke pointed. "It's working!" She beamed.

"The wall!?" Cait Sith scratched at the surface, he felt a strange film under his claw.

"It's deteriorating!" Kadaj placed his gloved fingers over the wall. He pushed forward, digging into the invisible field. Then he pulled downward, ripping the force. It sent tickles through his hand.

"Hurry!" Tifa ordered happily.

"We can still win this!" Cloud sliced through the jelly like wall.

The two continued their kissing scene. Sephiroth ignored everything, not realizing the group's escape. He ignored their chatter, a call out to Zack and the sound of rushing feet. He ignored the clatter of clones, the silent battle from behind him. He did notice, however, the tremble Aeris had.

"Aeris?" Sephiroth opened his eyes, suddenly feeling a tad frightened. He noticed her eyes were open, looking behind him, her mouth dropped open. Sephiroth didn't need to move to know what was happening.

"SsssSSSEPHIROOOTH!" a menacing hiss sounded.

Aeris pushed away from the silver haired man, gasping.

Zack stood in the corner, his sword raised. The clones surrounded the man, watching with edge. Their claws dripped with evil venom. Zack paid them no attention though. He kept his glowing death stare at the man on the pillar. Sephiroth frowned, turning to face the furious man.

It was a stare down. Cloud and the others watched with their weapons ready. The battle was about to start and right now, for the first time, Cloud felt he and his friends had the upper hand.

Zack's glare switched momentarily from the man to the worried woman at his side.

"Aeris?" Zack cocked his head to the side, his emotions maniacal.

"Z, Zack…?" Aeris gave him a faint smile. She wasn't expecting him to be so hostile.

"So is this the way you mourn for somebody's death?" the man chuckled, his eyes glowing with all the more intensity.

"What's happening?" Cloud frowned.

"I…I don't know…what you mean-."

"Not enough you go to my best friend as soon as I'm dead, but now you go straight to the source of my pain!" he raised his head in anger and screamed. "To SEPHIROTH!"

"N, no…that…" Aeris gasped. She held her hands to her chest protectively and stepped behind Sephiroth.

"Oh…shit…" Cloud's mouth went dry. He knew Shelke had noticed the same thing he had.

"Look!" She pointed at Zack's arm. "Kadaj! The blood!"

"Crap!" Kadaj squeezed his hands shut. His face creased into one of anger. "You idiot, clones!"

Stabbed into Zack's arm were two syringes. They no longer held the green liquid of Jenova's blood, the plungers pushed to the base of the tubes. Zack's veins bulged and twitched as his body began to make room for the alien cells. Beside the man, two cloaked figures hopped and skipped in delight, clapping their hands.

"They injected him with the last of Jenova's blood!"

* * *

-Okay! End of this chapter! I hope I got you all on the edge of your seats by now! Whew. What a cycle of emotional turmoil. Anyways, please review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	32. Chapter 32

Hello everyone! Wow…few reviews on the last one, was it bad? I hope not! Guess I'll just have to make it even better! Thanks to those who did review though its great hearing from you and of course, thank you for reading! Lets get this new chapter posted, shall we? –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 32**

"How can this be!?" Cloud shouted; his grip on his sword suddenly tightened showing the white of his knuckles. "I thought you said Jenova was gone!"

"That's what I had suspected but it turned out Hojo had a final reserve!" Shelke slipped her hands to rest behind her back, her fingertips brushing over the handles of her weapon.

"We had no idea that the clones stole them for this!" Kadaj cursed, wishing he had a weapon of his own. He glanced at his wrist. There was a single glowing red orb, a summon materia that Cid had entrusted to him only moments earlier.

"But, I thought Zack was capable of keeping Jenova from takin' over him!" Yuffie threw down her fists.

"It's true that his body is able to manipulate the cells to his benefit, however, according to Hojo's records Zack had escaped the lab right before his final dosage. The final amount should have been just enough to push him over the edge. His body wouldn't be able to withstand any more alien blood." The intelligent girl sighed deeply. "It doesn't help that he's been severely wounded and psychologically distressed. Having that spell cast on him did quite the number. Not to mention, when he woke up, he saw Aeris basically making out with Sephiroth."

"Ergh! What a mess!" Cloud growled.

"What are we supposed to do?" Tifa asked.

"There's not much we can do-." Shelke's voice was interrupted by the sound of laughter only a few feet away.

"What have I been doing all these years? Wasting my time on you!?" Zack cackled, a hand against his forehead. His fingers dug through his hair.

"Zack, I can explain-." Aeris spoke.

"Explain!" the man exploded. "There's nothing to explain!"

"B, but…-. " The woman shook with fright. Zack stared at her, a psychotic smile on his face. His teeth seemed to shine in the light, his canines pointed.

"B, b, but!" the man mocked the woman, his hands against his chest. He scoffed loudly. "You're pathetic."

"You don't understand." Aeris bit her lip, her fingers looped around the ribbon around her neck.

"…" he stared at her again, the same look on his face. His eyes held a menacing glare, one that challenged her. He watched out the corner of his eye, his head lifted and tilting.

"Stop it…" Aeris whispered.

"What?" He licked his teeth.

"Stop looking at me like that." She stumbled away, a foot sliding over the edge of the thin pillar. The woman yelped with fright. Sephiroth flinched at the sound.

"Eh, heh heh…" Zack chuckled to himself, his shoulders shaking. The laughter was quiet and slow but quickly erupted into fits of crazy cackles. He raised his hands in the air, much like the way Sephiroth does, laughing all the while like he just heard the greatest joke in the entire world and refused to let anyone else in on it.

"He's crazy." Cid grumbled.

"Please stop!" Aeris covered her ears, not wanting to see the man acting like this.

He obeyed; his laughter stopped. Silence hung out in the air. Zack stood very still, his arms in the air, his head lowered, and his dark hair covering his eyes.

"You know what, Aeris?" the man spoke after a minute.

"W, what?" the woman asked cautiously.

The man bolted upright, throwing his arms down and preparing his fighting stance. "I'm going to kill you!" with that he disappeared.

'Oh shit!' Cloud swallowed hard, blinking, a drop of sweat fell from his brow. He had to stop Zack. The question was how. Zack was always faster than him. How was he going to keep up with the man when he was loaded with Jenova cells?

"AH!" Aeris screamed, stumbling once again. She looked over each shoulder a hundred times. Her long, messy hair twisted with her turning head.

"How permanent is this!?" Cloud shouted.

"It's unknown. The very least, it's only temporary. I would hope that it wasn't permanent but I really am not sure."

"There!" Sephiroth lifted his sword. It clashed with an invisible weapon. Sparks exploded into the air at the contact between weapons.

In a flash Zack was back to where he was standing only moments earlier. He was baring all his teeth in rage.

"Still not fast enough." Sephiroth mocked the man. He held his Masamune close to his body. He was taking deep slow breaths. His eyes were narrow.

"Fast enough to make you take the defensive." Zack smirked.

"I don't understand…" Sephiroth questioned nervously. "Why the cells?" he looked down at the clones. They were all watching with deep interest. "What are you idiots doing!?"

"Sounds like you can't handle the competition." Zack straightened himself, shouldering his weapon.

"Mother! Why him!? Why does he get to share your powers!?" Sephiroth cursed.

"Maybe…" Zack gulped, suddenly feeling very sick. He leaned forward with his hands on his knees. The man rocked back and forth, his eyes darting upward to watch Sephiroth. "Cause you're too weak…" a faint smile crossed his pale lips.

"Weak!?" Sephiroth growled. He thought a moment, looking at the people surrounding him. They were all staring at him. "Weak…?" Why were they staring at him? Sephiroth felt nervous, afraid of the many eyes. "Weak…" For the first time he felt that everything was out of his control.

"WEAK!" Zack growled, his voice dripping with another sound. One that was foreign, unrecognizable. It was a sound in mixed octaves, some low and some high all swirled around his tongue.

Sephiroth looked back at Aeris. The girl was staring at him as well, a worried look in her eyes. "No…It can't be…" the silver haired man gasped. "I'm…I'm _her_ son!"

"You're nothing more than a failed experiment!" Zack's alien voice screamed. The man lowered to a knee, groaning as the voice continued growling through him, using his vocal chords without permission. "A loser, a waste, a failure!"

"Failed…experiment?" Sephiroth grabbed his head, wincing in emotional pain.

'Of course…Mother wants Zack…' Sephiroth frowned, an anguished pain escaping his dry lips.

"You failed too many times. This is where I find my new son." The voice cackled in Sephiroth's face.

The ex-general cracked. His world just crumbled into pieces and fell about his feet. The man was standing alone in darkness, no more thoughts, no more voices, and no more scratching orders in his brain.

"M, Ma…" his green eyes darted back and forth. "Mother?"

"GAH!" a pained scream emitted from the man on the floor. "S, sssTOP it!" he grunted and squeezed his head. His fingers jabbed into his own temple to try and ease the pain.

"Zack!" Aeris hollered. He was still in there, alive and well. Zack wasn't completely changed yet.

"NO!" Sephiroth yelled. "I won't sit by and watch as you take over my life's work! Without mother, I'm nothing!" he raised his weapon and charged forward, leaping off the pillar.

In three quick slashes the wandering clones were bleeding and dead on the crater floor. Sephiroth spun around quickly, his hair covering his face. He growled all the while lifting his bloody sword. His wide green eyes stared at the two cloaked clones that had stabbed Zack with the green blood of Jenova.

Meanwhile, Zack shuddered and convulsed on the floor. His veins rippled and his muscles and bones popped.

"You!" Sephiroth glared, crimson fluid pouring down the blade and over his gloved hand. The two clones trembled, staring at the other dead bodies on the floor. "The cause of my pain! You shall die!" the man stepped forward sticking his sword through one of the clones. The clone shivered, looking down at its self. Its pale fingers traced lightly over the red blade. It pulled away quickly, its fingers now cut and bleeding as well.

"No…" Kadaj watched sorrowfully.

Sephiroth tugged his blade away. The clone dropped to the ground, its hands holding it's stomach.

"Ow…ow…ouch…" it mumbled to itself.

The other clone watched in horror at its brother. It lifted its hand, not tearing its gaze away from its sibling's eyes. Sephiroth bat it away with ease and ran his blade through the second like the one before.

"Pain…" the clone muttered. A solitary tear fell down his cheek.

"Don't…" the clone on the ground spoke once again. Long strands of silver hair pooled around its face. Kadaj shivered. "Cry…"

"Don't cry!" Kadaj covered his mouth.

"Brother?" the second clone muttered, looking toward Kadaj. His hood fell from his face once Sephiroth tugged his blade away from his torso. He joined his brother on the floor. His pale face and green eyes was a painful reminder of Kadaj's past.

"LOZ!" Kadaj shouted.

"Brother." The first clone shivered, dying. He raised his head to look at the man who was running toward them.

"Kadaj! No!" Shelke followed after him.

"You bastard!" Kadaj rammed his body into Sephiroth's side. Sephiroth tumbled over, not expecting an intrusion. "You heartless….bastard!"

"Kadaj, come back!" Shelke slid to a halt.

Kadaj turned quickly to look at the clones on the floor. It was too late, they had already expired. "No!" the young man cried out. He kneeled next to the bodies. He stared at their faces. "Loz…Yazoo…" he choked on a sob. "You were alive!?"

"You…piece of shit!" Sephiroth's voice growled from behind the man.

"KADAJ!" Shelke screamed. It was too late. Sephiroth's blade had pierced through the man's back and was sliding through his stomach before she could even warn the man.

"Get away Shelke!" Vincent screamed.

"Shhh….it…" Kadaj gasped.

"You can join your pathetic brothers now." Sephiroth grumbled. He twisted the blade, cutting the man on the inside and out.

"STOP IT!" Shelke screamed at the evil man before her. She didn't notice Vincent's hands on her waist lifting her and pulling her away from the scene.

"We'll…be waiting for you…" Kadaj spat.

Unsatisfied with that remark, Sephiroth raised his blade, lifting the young man with it. He flung the boy over the ledge and watched in amusement as his body dropped into the Lifestream below.

"NO!" Shelke kicked and screamed. She shoved away from Vincent but he only tightened his grip on her.

"You're a monster!" Cloud cursed at the man.

"Not anymore…you see…" Sephiroth stepped to the side, revealing to his audience Zack's body. At least it was what used to be Zack. "I've been replaced."

"Oh no…" Aeris raised a hand to cover her mouth.

"The battle, I'm afraid, is far from over." Sephiroth responded dryly. He leapt backwards, his sword and eyes pointed at the man on the floor. He landed gracefully beside Aeris, returning to the pillar.

"It's…sooner than you think." A low growl sounded from Zack's body. The man picked himself up from off the cold ground. His eyes glowed with a new kind of hate. "AHHHHHHHH!" he screamed, stepping forward. He hunched over once again; his hands gripped his shoulders.

"What's wrong with him!?" Aeris screamed.

Zack's yells quickly subsided as a loud sickening 'CRACK' sounded. In a loud 'WHOOSH' magnificent wings sprung out from his shoulder blades. He stood upright, flexing the wings. He enjoyed the gentle breeze he created blow about him. He smiled.

"Finally got my own set…" the man chuckled. "What do you think, Aeris? Am I an angel or a devil?"

"…" the woman stared at the giant wings sprouted from the man's form. They were covered in grey feathers, some blacker than others and few whiter.

There was an explosion of quills as Zack disappeared yet again.

"Where'd he go!?" Cid raised his spear.

"Keep an eye on him." Red XIII advised.

"Would if I could see him." Barret said sarcastically.

"Wait! We can't just…fight him…can we?" Tifa asked worriedly.

"I…I'm not sure!" Cloud grunted.

"But…what if he attacks us!?" Yuffie pulled out her shuriken.

"Then we fight." Vincent answered. He slowly released his grip on Shelke's shoulders. The young woman immediately ran to the edge of the drop off.

"What do ya say, Cloud?" Cait Sith messed with his PHS, most likely talking to Reeve.

"I…" the blonde lowered his head. "If he goes after us, then we fight."

"Are you sure?" Tifa asked nervously.

"Positive."

'Where is he?!' Sephiroth turned on all his senses. He'd need to use all of them in this fight. He could sense a tremendous power coming from Zack. 'Where is he!?'

"Too slow…" A low voice sounded.

Sephiroth's eyes widened. An image emerged from before him. Zack was standing face to face with the man. Sephiroth blinked and swallowed thickly. His ears were ringing from the scream coming from the woman at his side.

"…You…" Sephiroth looked down at himself. Zack's long and wide blade was shoved into his body, wedged between the bottoms of his ribcage.

"Oh GOD!" Aeris covered her mouth.

"Impossible!" Cloud felt his jaw drop. It was light speed. No one was able to see it coming, not even Sephiroth.

'How am I going to stop him!? If Sephiroth didn't even see that coming, how would I!?' the spiky haired man didn't notice his quickening breaths.

"Zack! What are you doing!?" Aeris screeched. "Seph…Sephiroth!"

"This is for all the pain you caused me…for everyone's pain…for the world's pain!" Zack hissed.

"…Pain…" Sephiroth's voice was hoarse. "You…think…I don't…know pain!?" he wheezed.

"Not like I do." He leaned forward, his nose against Sephiroth's.

"Not…like…you." The silver haired man replied, his sight blurring momentarily. "Am I dying?"

Zack responded by removing his sword from Sephiroth's body.

"No…" Aeris watched in horror.

The dark haired man raised his sword over his head, much in the way Cloud had before he attempted to kill Aeris.

"Stop it!" Aeris jumped forward. She grabbed Zack's arms. "Leave him alone! He's going to die, leave him be!"

"You want me to make him suffer? To bleed out?" Zack smirked. "What a more suitable death."

"NO! I want you to stop this!" Aeris shook her head.

"Why!?" the man glared at her.

"Because…I don't want to see any more people die." She bit her lower lip. "You're out of control. You need to stop this." She gently placed a hand on his shoulder, her eyes were pleading.

"…" the man watched her.

"I know he's an awful man. He should die and stay dead, but what do you think is going to happen now that he has none of Jenova's power?" the Ancient looked out of the corner of her eyes at the dying man stumbling about behind her. Blood poured from his massive wound, painting the stone ground at his feet. The liquid poured over the edge of the pillar.

"Move." Zack instructed.

"No! You've done enough!" Aeris screamed.

"I SAID MOVE!" he shoved against her, his palm colliding with her lower stomach. The woman was sent flying upwards and away from the pillar. She shot across the crater slamming into the far wall. A series 

of loud cracks sounded upon impact and the woman dropped several feet to the solid floor of the pathway.

"#!" Cloud shouldered his weapon and sprinted toward where the Cetra lay.

"Aeris! Aeris!" Tifa called out to the unconscious woman.

"Damn it, Zack!" Barret aimed his gun-arm. "I'm gonna shoot yer ass!"

Zack glared at the thick man with the robotic arm. He didn't have to think hard to send a wave of energy at him, jamming and squishing the weapon into nothing more than scrap metal. Barret yelled in pain, holding onto his now crushed arm. Cait Sith quickly rushed in to the man's aid.

Vincent didn't hesitate another moment. He drew his weapon and shot a full magazine at the winged man. Zack didn't seem to move at all, but not a single bullet seemed to hit him. The ex-SOLDIER sighed. He sent a spell at Vincent. It blasted in full speed at the red eyed man. Vincent didn't even see it coming. The blast shot the weapon from his fingertips, melting the barrel. Vincent watched shocked by the speed Zack had seemed to develop in only minutes.

Zack suddenly groaned; his body was beginning to change once again.

"She's not breathing!" Cloud listened closely, his ear near her lips. His shaking fingers grabbed the woman's wrist.

"We've got to do something, Cloud!" Tifa held onto the side of her face.

'So…this is what real pain feels like?' Sephiroth felt his stomach twisting and churning. He fell over onto the ground. He leaned over the edge, vomiting rich blood. 'Mother…never let me feel this pain…Not until now.'

'My powers are weakening by the second…all the more he changes form.' Sephiroth sent a dazed look toward Zack whom was fighting with himself and his mixed emotions. 'Mother…you have forsaken me for this…weak, emotional, imbecile?'

'Of course.' Sephiroth continued his psychological conversation with himself. 'All the more power for her to control him.'

"This is getting dangerous!" Red XIII barked.

"I'm going to let it out." Vincent growled. From the distance Tifa shot the man a worried look.

"What do you mean!?" Yuffie squawked.

Vincent's red eyes glared at Zack. He watched the man transform into something undeterminable, something that may have looked like Jenova's true form. Inside, Chaos screamed to be released.

"You'll kill him Vincent!" Yuffie shouted. She placed her hands on her head as she hopped up and down, frustrated with the current situation. #!" the hard floor of the pathway. the far wall. A series of loud cracks sounded upon impact and the woman dropped several f

"Come on, Aeris…Breath…" Cloud whispered as he pushed against the woman's sternum. He took a deep breath and released it into her lungs. The last time he had to do something like this was in Junon when the little girl, Priscilla, had nearly drowned.

"Come on, Aeris. Don't give up so easily." Tifa messed with the woman's bangs.

"I won't…let you win…" Sephiroth wheezed.

"…I already have." Zack said through gritted teeth. He flexed his monstrous muscles, his large wings flapping as he did so. His pupils took the form of tiny slits, like a sea serpent's.

"No." Sephiroth gave a weak smile. "You and I have failed."

"Me? Fail!?" Zack stood, laughing. "You're ridiculous." He lifted his sword.

"The moment you joined SOLDIER you were signing your life over to the devil." Sephiroth chuckled. Blood dripped from the corner of his cracked lips.

"…SOLDIER has nothing to do with this current situation." Zack twisted his head to the people watching him. "It's all Jenova. All mother."

"She isn't your…mother!" Sephiroth weakly got to his feet. He stumbled, barely able to hold onto his weapon. He pushed himself forward, basically falling toward his opponent, weapon sticking straight out. The point of the sword was aimed at Zack's chest.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Zack vanished, dodging Sephiroth's lame attempt at attacking the man.

Sephiroth trotted, unbalanced, almost sliding over the edge of the pillar. A large slice from Zack's sword sent a new wave of pain down Sephiroth's spine. The man collided with the ground as Zack's boot stomped on him.

"Too easy…" Zack grinned. "Killing a child would prove more difficult."

'Child!?' Zack's mind screamed suddenly. His eyes dropped to where Cloud, Tifa and Aeris were. Aeris lay on the ground, unconscious. 'CHILD!!'

"Leave her alone!" he pointed his buster sword at Cloud. The blonde stared at Zack, seriously annoyed. "Don't touch her!"

Zack walked to the edge of the pillar opposite of Sephiroth. He glared at the three on the floor. "You touch her and I'll kill you!"

"Zack, you've lost your mind!" Cloud shook his head.

"Like how you lost yours and I was chosen to be your bodyguard!" Zack was agitated. "I died for you!"

He held onto his head, feeling the beating pulse in his temples. Each pump gave him a new headache. His stomach ached, feeling empty and full of air. His hands were shaking like they did when he hadn't eaten all day, or trained too hard. His boots were heavy and so was his sword. His sword was covered in rust and blood. Zack frowned when he stared at it.

'I ruined it!' the corner of his lip twitched. 'NO! I didn't…Cloud did!'

"Why!? Why would you let this happen!?" Zack raised his sword in the air vertically for all to see. "Look at it!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Cloud murmured. He shook his head, not really listening to the calls of the crazy man. "Wake up, Aeris."

"Angeal's gonna kill me!" Zack groaned. A hand desperately slapped his forehead. "You're paying for this, CLOUD!"

"I'm not paying for anything." Cloud spoke unclearly.

"And you're going to pay for it with your blood!" this got Cloud's attention.

"ZACK!" the wannabe SOLDIER stood. He immediately withdrew his blade.

"Cloud, don't!" Tifa reached out to the man. Cloud stood still, feeling the warm touch of Tifa's fingers.

'I have to protect her…' Cloud closed his eyes.

"No…" Zack spoke again. His face carried a large smile. "I have a better idea."

"…" Cloud stared at the man standing above him on the pillar.

"How about I stain this sword with her blood?" Zack ran a finger up and down the side of the blade, blood pouring over his digit and plopping to the floor. Sephiroth quavered a few feet away, his eyes becoming more and more glazed over. Zack's brilliant gaze fell to the woman kneeling beside Aeris. Tifa felt the hair on her neck stand on end. Before Cloud could respond Zack was gone.

"AH!" a yelp sounded from the woman.

Cloud turned as quickly as he could, but he wasn't fast enough to do a thing. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Tifa flew into the air and crashed into the wall, cracks splintering up the side. She groaned, stuck onto the wall by an invisible force. Her jacket crumbled up about her chest. The woman screamed silently as her throat collapsed under a great pressure. Tiny cuts spread over her body, letting blood stain her clothing. It all occurred in less than a second.

"TIFA!" Cloud continued his spin, lifting his sword overhead. He pulled his arms downward to hit the invisible force.

Tifa gasped as her throat reopened, but she was still clung to the wall. Cloud's sword was stopped midair.

"ZACK!" Cloud cursed loudly.

"Why do you always cause me so much trouble?" Zack whispered in the man's ear, his form reappearing finally. His blue eyes stared into Cloud matching ones. "I bet you're thinking: 'How can I beat an invisible opponent?' right?" the man laughed quietly.

"Put her down." Cloud said sternly.

"Why…" Zack set his sword across Cloud's clavicle. "Should I listen to you?"

"Because I'm your friend." Zack frowned at the man's nonchalance.

"Friends don't steal other friend's girlfriends." He glared.

"You're the one who told me to take care of her." Cloud replied.

"Take care of her…not # her!" Zack yelled, spittle flying into Cloud's face.

"Don't get started on this, Zack. You know this has nothing to do with me." Cloud said in a low tone.

"It has everything to do with you!" Zack screamed. "You, Aeris, Tifa, Sephiroth, EVERYONE!"

"You need to calm down, Zack." Cloud warned.

"AH!" He clutched his hair; Tifa fell to the ground, no longer having a bind. She breathed in deeply. "Did…did you know…that I kissed her?"

"What?" Cloud questioned. He heard a soft gasp come from Tifa on the ground.

"Yeah…" Zack smiled. "I've kissed her." He looked down at the injured woman. Tifa only stared back in shock.

"…Okay…" Cloud narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah. In Nibelheim. Remember that night?" Zack tilted his head. "You were rejected by Aeris the very moment Tifa's lips were on mine."

"Stop it." Tifa turned her gaze away from the men.

"…" Cloud stared at the floor a moment.

"How's it feel?" Zack sneered.

"…Probably better than knowing that someone else was #ing my girl only moments later." Cloud brought his stare back to Zack's.

"!" A litter of curses erupted from the man. He threw Cloud away, causing the man to tumble and roll. Cloud hit his side against the wall but he quickly rebounded to his feet. !"oments laterstare back to Zack'. e else was #ing my girl."  
" She breathed in deeply.sure. Tiny cuts spread over her "#damnit!" he squeezed his head. "Why!? Why does this keep happening to me!?" he dropped to his knees.

"AHHH!!" He screamed out in frustration and pain. It was a sound that a man gave when he was dying. "I hate you! I hate you all! I hate you all so much!" he dove forward on his knees, resting his elbows on the ground, screaming. "Why can't…" his voice dulled and quieted down. "Why can't anything good ever happen to me?" the man cursed.

All was quiet for a minute. Cloud watched, prepared to fight. He stared at the man, pity on his face. This was his best friend, but right now Zack wasn't all there. A loud scream erupted from the man again.

"I'll #&#& kill you!" he cried out again, drool slowly falling to the ground only inches from his face. A hand dug into the dirt, his nails bending backward as he scraped his hand against the rock. His wings stiffened, rising up behind him. There was no sound as Zack flew into the air, sword drawn and pointed at the man he planned to impale. He flew closer and closer, forgetting all tactics and relying on savage instincts.

_BAM_!

Zack gasped. It was a loud, high pitched shriek. The man turned sideways, a wing gone out.

BAM!

Feathers exploded into the air. Another shriek of pain emitted from the man's throat. Zack fell ungracefully at Cloud's feet.

"H…how?" Zack sputtered.

_BAM_!

A blast was sent into the man's back. Blood spurted from the wound. Zack let out a nonexistent scream. His mouth gaped, wide. The man's eyes about popped from their sockets. There was a 'splash' as his blood trickled onto the pavement.

Cloud turned his gaze to the source of the noise.

Four figures stood at the entrance of the crater. They wore pristine business suits, all but one actually. Cloud's gaze immediately fell onto the disheveled and messy looking redhead on the right end of the line. His red markings on his cheeks made him identifiable as none other than Reno of the Turks. He tapped his prod against his shoulder, next to him stood Elena with her weapon drawn. Beside her was the bald Rude, his fists raised. On the far left was the leader, Tseng. His Desert Eagle was drawn and pointed at Zack, smoke drifting from the barrel.

"DON'T! STOP!" Cloud raised his arms into the air.

"Stop!? You mean you want us to stop shooting that thing?" Reno tilted his head, looking disgusted by the wounded man beside Cloud's feet. Cloud stared too, finally realizing that Zack no longer looked like Zack.

"That thing is Zack." Cloud responded.

"ZACK!?" the four wouldn't have been more shocked if they were told Sephiroth was a princess and he was going to save them all from a giant man eating squirrel.

"His body was infused with more of Jenova's cells." Cloud explained. "His current mental state and wounds is keeping him under the monster's control." He sat on the ground beside Zack, rolling the man over.

"We didn't kill him, did we?" Elena asked.

"Not sure." Cloud frowned.

"DIE!" a hand gripped Cloud's throat. The Turks immediately lifted their weapons.

"ZACK!" Tifa screamed.

Zack's attention fell to the woman, though his hand never left Cloud's throat.

"Stop this! Listen to me!" Tifa held out her arms. "Aeris is dying! If you continue this any longer she will surely die! Don't you care!? Don't you care that the woman you've died and lived for is going to die all over again when you have the power to prevent it!?"

"Aer…" Zack's grip loosened. Cloud gave Tifa a reassuring raise of his eyebrows.

"That's right!" Tifa smiled. "Aeris needs you, Zack. She needs you to be with her. She needs your help."

'Don't listen to her!' the voices called out in Zack's mind.

"CHILD!" Zack let go of Cloud and squeezed his head.

"…?" Cloud rubbed his throat. He gave the black haired man a confused look.

"I'm a murderer! Kill me!" Zack shook Cloud's shoulders.

"No way, man." Cloud swayed his head from side to side. "You fix your problems."

"Ah!"

"Save her, Zack! She needs you!" Tifa stepped closer to the man. "Look at her! Which is it, the voices or the woman you love!?"

'Love? I love…?' Zack gasped for air like a fish out of water. 'Aeris…she's…she needs my help!'

Slowly, Zack's body began to take a more natural form. His bulging muscles lessened in volume, his veins and bones popped back into place. Even his voice seemed to return to a more normal tone.

"Aeris…" the man whispered. His large wings did not descend into his back, however.

"Please help her." Tifa pleaded. "She loves _you_. She did all of this for _you_."

"For me…?" Zack coughed, blood trickling from his lips.

Shelke wiped at the tears on her cheeks. She was watching the scene as soon as Zack was shot.

"He's losing blood! Even if he's weakening, Jenova's not going to be able to hold on for too long if he loses too much blood! It means he's dying! If he dies, Jenova dies. In order for her to survive, she'll need to push herself onto another host!" the girl explained.

"And there's no one left!" Barret shouted.

"Keep going, Tifa…" Cloud nodded at the woman.

"She need's you." Tifa reassured the winged man.

'She needs me…She needs someone to save her, her bodyguard!' Zack closed his eyes.

'_You need to hold onto your dreams…and your pride_…' Angeal's words reverberated off the walls of Zack's mind. _'In order to be a hero.'_

'A hero! I need to be a hero…I need dreams…' Zack thought long and hard. He didn't realize he had a group of people watching him cautiously.

"My dream…" Zack growled. He slowly ascended to his feet, his wings lifting him off the ground. "Is to be free!"

The man glided over to where Aeris lay. He pried open her tiny hand and grabbed the green materia in her palm.

"And when I'm free, I want to live with you." The man whispered raggedly. His journey to the woman left a life threatening trail of blood behind him.

Zack raised the materia, concentrating his last remaining energy into the tiny orb. He was going to save Aeris, even if it killed him.

* * *



Okay! Sorry but I've got to end it here for tonight. I can't continue any longer, im getting tired! Lol! Sorry! But ill update again next week! Don't worry there's plenty more to come! Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading and reviewing! –Annubis


	33. Chapter 33

Happy Valentine's Day! What better way to celebrate this day then to read a little ZackXAeris? Thanks to all those who have read and reviewed the past chapters, I greatly appreciate it. Oh…and don't flame me because you don't like Zack and Aeris and that Aeris belongs with Cloud or whatever…I mean…this is in the Zack and Aeris section. Also, I'm not changing anything in the first story. It is as it is. Sorry if you didn't like some of the character drama/relationships. I enjoy all couples and I don't think it'd be quite the same without the conflicts. Either way, I hope you continue with the story even if you don't like some of the pairings. Anyways, enough of all that. Let's get this new chapter posted. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter! –Annubis

* * *

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

**Chapter 33**

Zack concentrated all the energy he could muster into the miniature orb in his fingers. Blood seeped from his wounds, but he paid no mind to them. The damaged wings clinging to his shoulder blades twitched involuntarily.

Cloud watched the man with extreme caution. He had to stay on his toes in case Zack went into another mental fit. His fingers snaked around the handle of his sword. He cocked his head to the side, his bangs flopping.

"I think its okay now." Tifa's soothing voice interrupted the man's thoughts.

"I know." Cloud nodded slowly. "I just want to make sure. Wouldn't want to take any chances."

The brunette only shook her head in response.

"Love…" a treacherous moan sounded above the pillar within the center of the crater.

"Sephiroth?" Tifa lifted her head.

"He's still alive?"

Tifa gave Cloud a worried stare. "You…think he'll last much longer?"

"Not even Sephiroth could live through those wounds." Tifa's spiky haired companion spoke. He shook his head in disappointment. "Especially now that Jenova's abandoned him."

"Her…love…" Sephiroth mumbled to himself. His body was like a block of ice. He shivered like a dying leaf on a tree. "She said…she loved me?"

"What's he going on about?" Cid grumbled to himself as he dug a screwdriver into a crack in Barret's damaged gun-arm.

"I…I don't know." Yuffie stared upward at the pillar, watching the droplets of blood drip from the top surface. "I think he's dying."

"Surprised he is still alive at all." Vincent almost growled. He was inspecting his melted barrel, wondering how he would ever return it to its pristine shape.

"Anybody mind telling us the whole story?" Tseng's voice rang out in the cold crater.

"Yeah, what the hell's goin' on?" the red haired Turk relaxed, leaning against a rock wall.

"It's going to be a long story." Red XIII stated. He watched Zack warily from across the room.

"Seeing as the threat has already been taken care of, I think we have the time." Tseng folded his arms.

Red XIII sat upright. He shook his mane every now and then as he spoke, retelling of the events that had taken place over the past couple months. The Turks listened intently. Every now and then Elena's eye would run across the scene capturing a glance of the dead bodies on the floor and then drifting to watch the ever more slouching form of Zack. He seemed to worsen by the second. She swallowed thickly, unsure of whether or not she should say something.

'Come on, Aeris. Wake up.' Zack sighed. He was getting very light headed. He decided to talk, in order to keep himself awake.

"Wakey wakey, Aeris. Time to get up." Zack mumbled softly. "Everything's going to be fine. Remember? Cloud and I are going to take you to the Golden Saucer. You love that place." A faint smile crossed his features as he spoke. More of his red fluid poured from the bullet wounds in his body. "Beginning to get used to the feeling…Being shot I mean."

He spoke to himself silently, not sure what he was doing anymore. The man grinned widely, eyes closed.

"Poor ma. She's going to be pissed when I tell her what happened." The man slowly fell forward. He caught himself, leaning over Aeris' body with an arm stretched out and a palm laying flat on the ground. He let out a grunt of pain, opening his eyes. "I'm s, s, sorry Aeris. I didn't mean to hurt you. You know that, right?"

Zack, still leaning over the woman's form, turned his head to the side to look at her sleeping face. A bead of sweat fell from his brow; blood trickled down his arm slopping to the floor.

"Right, Aeris?" he laughed nervously. He asked her again, "Right?" but there was no answer.

"Right!?" the man situated himself. He straddled her, hands on either side of her head. Zack watched her with widening eyes. He leaned in close. "Aeris?"

There still was no answer. Aeris was not waking up.

"Ah, God! Aeris!?" the man shouted, the orb was lying on the ground, forgotten. .

"Zack!" Tifa trotted up to the man. She was halted by Cloud's grip. "What?"

"I…don't want you getting close." Cloud murmured. He hated the taste of the words in his mouth.

"But, he needs our help!" Tifa shrugged Cloud's hand off her shoulder. "What if it was me on the ground? What if I was in Zack's position? Would you not help me…? Because of Jenova?"

"You know it's not like that." Cloud frowned. He lowered his head.

"You can't possibly be scared of him." Tifa turned to face Zack. She watched him pitifully. "Look at him, Cloud."

Zack shuddered. His fingers laced with the curly hair on Aeris' head. Distraught, he screamed out in pain, resting his forehead on hers.

"That's all I can do." Cloud sighed loudly.

"What do you mean?" The woman gasped.

"What can I do? I'm not an Ancient." Cloud shrugged, feeling the sudden aching in his heart. Aeris wasn't moving. She wasn't breathing and she sure as hell wasn't getting up on her own.

"Aeris. Come on, babe. Wake up." Zack frowned. He rarely called her babe, and when he did she hated it. "Get up. Talk to me."

He lifted her up into his arms, pressing her body into his chest.

"Breathe Aeris." The man choked back a sob."Please. I'm sorry!" the man cried. He rocked back and forth, the woman in an embrace.

Zack snatched up the green orb once again, looking at it sadly. "I'm going to make you breathe. You are going to come back."

Cloud and Tifa watched silently as Zack resumed his previous actions, closing his eyes and concentrating very hard. After a minute or so he opened his eye. Nothing was happening. There was no glow from Aeris' materia. There was no magic flowing from the orb. Zack growled in frustration and closed his eyes again. He squeezed the orb all the more. Then he opened his mouth and spoke.

"What's he saying?" Tifa whispered.

"I…I don't know. But I think it's what the Ancients speak." Cloud watched in wonder, his mouth gaping.

The sound emitted from Zack's dry lips and echoed in the open space. Slowly, one by one, everyone in the room watched the man and listened. They were awed by the sound.

"Didn't know he knew the language too." Tseng whispered.

"He is an Ancient." Yuffie pressed.

"Indeed." Tseng nodded, ignoring Yuffie's edge.

"There!" Shelke's voice suddenly interrupted.

"What?" Barret asked the young girl.

"Kadaj! I see him! Help me!" the girl leaned over the edge further more. "I'm going down!"

"Not without help!" Vincent strode over to the young woman. He looked over the edge. Sure enough, lying on an overhang of rock above the Lifestream lay a soaked Kadaj.

"He must've climbed up!" the young girl hopped happily.

"I'll go. You stay here." Vincent slowly descended the rocky surface.

"Insignificant…clones…" Sephiroth stared at Shelke. The young woman gave the man a glare.

"In your eyes, maybe." She muttered grumpily.

"Dead. What use to you?" Sephiroth scoffed.

"…" Shelke turned away from the man's prying eyes. She quickly wiped at hers, feeling her heart aching more each second Kadaj was gone. "Hurry, Vincent." The girl sniffled.

"I hope he's okay." Yuffie whined to herself, thinking about Kadaj's safety.

"You see what happened to him?" Barret raised a brow. "Boy's lucky to still have a body."

"We all are." Cid muttered.

"Quiet…" Red XIII lifted an ear.

Zack continued his prayer, his lips moving on their own accord. It was as if he was overtaken by something else, like in the way he had been taken over by Jenova earlier. It was like an old nursery rhyme that just came to mind. Zack's eye's opened, showing their pale grey, purple. The mako glow faded quickly, flowing to the orb.

"It's working." Tifa bit her lower lip, smiling with anticipation.

"…" Cloud only stared. He noticed the glow leave Zack's eyes.

Light spilled from the orb downward onto Aeris' form. Zack gasped loudly, feeling a strange force pull outward from inside him.

'I'll find a way.' The man caught his breath and concentrated even harder. 'Come on, Aeris!'

The orb shown brighter and brighter, a high pitched whine sounded as the magic flowed from the orb and the spell worked on Aeris' body.

"He's doing it!" Tifa cheered, hopping.

"Damn it!" Cloud stepped forward, his weapon dragging behind him.

"What?" Tifa jumped in surprise at the man's sudden cry.

"Zack!" Cloud dropped his sword and ran toward the man.

"Cloud!?" Tifa followed after.

Vincent climbed over the edge of the rocky drop off. Shelke fidgeted nervously. She grabbed Kadaj's shoulders and pulled him off of Vincent's back and laid him gently on the floor.

"Something's up." Vincent raised his head. He hopped to his feet and trotted toward the where Zack was. "Shelke… take care of him." the man called over his shoulder. Slowly, the others pursued in Vincent's direction.

'I made this mess…Now I'm going to fix it.' Zack smiled to himself. He felt the soft tingle of his own life force clinging on the very edge of his fingertips.

"Zack! Don't!" Cloud skid to a stop.

It was too late. The bright light of the spell quickly faded and Zack dropped backward onto the floor.

"Zack!" Cloud dropped to his knees. He watched his friend on the floor.

"What happened!?" Tifa shrieked.

"He…He pushed himself too hard, that's all." Cloud shook his head to himself reassuringly.

"Pushed himself? You mean!?"

"I'm…I'm not sure." Cloud frowned. "Zack, buddy. You gonna wake up? The party isn't over yet."

"Aeris?" Zack whispered.

Cloud let out a deep sigh of relief.

"You scared the shit out of me." Cloud helped raise the man to sitting position. Zack opened his eyes slowly. The sight only scared Cloud more.

Zack's eyes were dull in color, there was almost no pigmentation. His pupils were dilated and his breathing was labored.

"Hey." Zack whispered. He leaned forward. Cloud grabbed the man's shoulders to help support him. Zack slowly lifted a hand to Aeris' forehead. "Why…isn't she awake?"

"Zack…You need to rest." Cloud lifted his hand, staring at his red stained palm. "Shit…"

"She's not awake, Cloud. Why isn't she awake?" Zack mumbled to himself. He currently saw two women lying on the floor before him. He turned to look at Cloud, his face pale.

"I…I don't know, Zack." Cloud stuttered.

"I did it all. I did what they told me." Zack's eyes rolled back momentarily.

"They?" Tifa whispered.

"The voices. I think…I heard…the planet…" Zack gulped. He slowly looked back down at the woman on the floor.

Zack jumped, being met by a gentle hand on his cheek. His dying eyes stared into a vibrant green.

"Hey!" Zack tried to smile.

"I told you I'd come back when it was all over." A soft voice sounded from the woman on the floor. Her fingers lightly traced patterns over Zack's cheek.

"Ya did…" Zack nodded slowly. "I'm glad." With that the man dropped backward again.

"Z, Zack!?" Aeris struggled to sit up. Tifa helped to support the woman while Cloud did the same with Zack. "What's wrong with him!?"

Aeris scooted over to Zack's side. "Zack!" She touched his cheek once again, feeling the cold temperature of his skin. "Oh no!" she gasped, her eyes immediately tearing up.

"What's happened?" Tseng asked as the group approached them.

"Zack. He used too much of his power. He's very weak." Tifa informed.

"He's dying!" Aeris spat out quickly. She looked over her shoulder. Her hand flew out toward the green orb lying on the floor only a few feet away. "My materia!"

"No!" Zack's hand gripped the woman's arm.

"Zack!" she looked down at the black haired man. Seeing his eyes so pale saddened the woman. She missed his vibrant blue eyes that were always so full of life.

"I…tried too hard to bring you back. You can't help me…not now." The man whispered, staring at the rock wall beside them all.

"But I have to! There's no question about it!" Aeris held the man's hand. She laced her fingers in his.

"Come on, Aeris." Zack took a ragged breath.

"We're going to leave. We're going to make it out of here, you hear me, Zack? You and I are going to get out of here. Take a long vacation?" the woman bit her lip, ignoring the tears dropping down her cheeks.

"No…" Sephiroth muttered aloud. "NO!"

With his last bit of strength, Sephiroth lifted himself up from off the ground. He wobbled back and forth a bit. It was hard to maintain balance.

"You…" Sephiroth breathed heavily, coughing on the air that refused to enter his torn lungs. He toppled to a knee and grabbed his sword. "You said you loved me!"

"What!?" Cloud raised his head.

"Look out!" Tifa cried.

Sephiroth had lunged rather ungracefully off the pillar and was now barreling toward them all, his sword aimed at Zack and Aeris.

Cloud cursed, he had dropped his sword once he saw what Zack had done to Aeris earlier. He wouldn't be quick enough to stop the man.

"You're coming with me!" Sephiroth growled eyes on Aeris. The young woman raised her head, a frightened look on her face.

"She ain't goin anywhere with ya!" Cid yelled. The pilot hopped in front of where Aeris and Zack lay, his spear held with both hands. He lifted it to block the vertical swoop of Sephiroth's sword.

_SLASH_!

"CID!"

The sword had sliced through Cid's weapon like it was made of paper. The tip had sliced downward across the top of the man's shoulder and down part of his chest on the right side.

"Damn it!" Cid grunted, falling to the side.

Sephiroth tumbled and fell to the floor.

"Hold it right there!" Elena called out, desert eagle in the silver haired man's face. "Move and I blow your #&#&# head off!"

"Cid! You alright!?" Tifa stood, helping the man stay on his feet.

"Ah, it's nothing…" Cid mumbled, looking down at himself as his shirt quickly became wet and stained. "Aw damn…Shera's gonna kill me."

"Why…why don't you sit down?" Tifa led the pilot to the floor and helped prop him up against the wall.

"Ya know…I don't think I've ever lost…this much…blood." Cid lowered his head.

"Try not to think about it." Tifa patted the man's shoulder. She tried to make it not seem as bad as it looked. To tell the truth, she wasn't sure how fatal that wound was.

"Hey Cid." Barret nodded toward the man.

"Eh?" the pilot looked up, squinting.

"You look like shit." Barret chuckled.

"Still look better than your face does." Cid guffawed.

"Aw shit." Barret shook his head, sitting next to the man.

Sephiroth ached for revenge. He lifted the hilt of his sword, knocking Elena's weapon from her hands. Elena yelped in surprise, alerting everyone.

"Aeris!" Zack somehow pushed himself upward off the floor, wrapping his arms around the woman protectively.

Sephiroth jumped forward, throwing his sword at the man holding Aeris. Cloud leaned to the side, reaching out for the flying weapon. His hands grabbed the sword. He winced in pain as his palms were sliced by the blade. It wasn't enough to stop it though.

"GAH!" Zack grunted. He pushed against Aeris to get her away. The woman gasped loudly, leaning back, her hands on his shoulders as the tip of Sephiroth's blade cut through Zack's torso and flew only inches away from her face. A trickle of blood dripped down the woman's cheek, barely scathed by the menacing blade.

Then Sephiroth dropped to the floor.

"ZACK!" Aeris screeched.

"I…Told you…" Sephiroth chuckled to himself, watching the blood seep from Zack's new wound.

"Stop it!" Aeris screamed at the silver haired man.

"Aer, Aeris." Zack gasped. He choked on his blood.

"No." Aeris whimpered.

"Damn it!" Cloud held onto his hands.

"Just…die already." Sephiroth growled.

"Not…until you do." Zack coughed.

"I'll kill you all over again!" Sephiroth struggled to get up.

"Don't move!" Tseng was in Sephiroth's face, weapon pressed against the man's forehead. He pulled back the hammer.

"WAIT!" a new voice interrupted the crater.

Vincent felt a shiver run down his spine. It was a voice he hadn't heard in a lifetime.

"Please. Don't kill him!" A woman stood in the archway of the tunnel leading into the crater. She was breathing heavily like she had just run a marathon.

"Who the hell is that?" Reno folded his arms.

"Quite the party…" Rude added.

"Please…don't kill my son." The woman gasped.

"Lucrecia…" Vincent stared at the woman with such surprise.

"Who?" Cid lifted his head.

"You know who, you idiot!" Yuffie kicked the man's leg.

"Oh god! Zack!" Aeris held onto the man in her arms.

'What should I do? Should I remove the blade?' the girl's lip wavered.

"Son?" Sephiroth asked, laughing.

"Please…Sephiroth…I am your real mother." The woman made her way to the staring group of people on the floor.

"Impossible." Sephiroth cursed. "My mother was Jenova."

"You were only infused with Jenova's cells while still an embryo!" the woman shouted. "For so many years…so many years I wanted to hold you in my arms. To hear you cry, to hear you laugh." The woman kneeled down before the silver haired man.

"To hear your first words. To watch you crawl, walk, go to school. Do all the things normal kids do." Lucrecia looked down at Sephiroth in pity. "But your father…"

Vincent shivered again at the way she introduced Hojo.

"That monster! Look at what he did to you!" Lucrecia held out her hands. "You were supposed to be an Ancient, not a human full of alien blood!"

"Alien…" Sephiroth laid his head on the cold floor. He looked up at the woman with confused eyes.

"You…were supposed to be my baby." The woman sobbed. She ran a hand through his tangled strands of hair.

"Zack!" Aeris' cries called out once again. "ZACK!"

"What's wrong!?" Cloud cursed.

"He's…he's not responding!" Aeris grabbed the green orb on the floor.

"Can't _you_ do something?" Shelke suddenly joined the group. She glared at Lucrecia, arms folded.

"About him?" she pointed at Zack, her long ponytail flowed over her shoulder.

"Precisely." Shelke nodded.

"I…" Lucrecia pulled her arms inward on herself, suddenly feeling attacked by everyone's stares.

"Can't you!?" Shelke shouted.

"True…you were able to help the president." Tseng added.

"But…there's no more lab!" Lucrecia shook her head. "The labs been destroyed! Am I correct?"

"The only thing left is the lab in Nibelheim…" Shelke informed.

"…There's nothing I can do." Lucrecia lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

"Sh…Shelke." A low moan sounded from behind the young girl.

"Kadaj!?" the girl spun and darted back to where the clone lay. "You're alright!?"

"Barely…" Kadaj coughed, green Lifestream gurgled from his throat.

"Him, however, I can help." Lucrecia kneeled down beside where Kadaj lay.

"Don't move too much, we'll get you somewhere safe!" Shelke ordered the man. A large smile was on her face.

"But, what about Zack?" Tifa asked.

"Aeris!" Cloud shouted.

Aeris was holding the green orb in her fingers, praying to help Zack.

"I have to help him!" the woman yelled.

"Ssstop it." A hiss sounded from Zack's lips.

"Zack, let me help you!" Aeris frowned.

"You can't…you're too weak. It's pointless." Zack shook his head from side to side, his messy hair flopping with each turn.

"Please Zack…what should I do?"

"Be free…" Zack sighed. He sat on his knees, Sephiroth's sword through his body. His arms lay limp at his sides; his large wings were no longer operative.

"Shelke…" Kadaj spoke up.

"What is it?"

"Give this…to Zack…" Kadaj cleared his throat. His fingers dug in a tiny pocket by his waist. He pulled out the small ring he had found in the Lifestream the day he was revived.

"To Zack?" the girl tilted her head.

"Aye! You still got that!?" Cait Sith trotted to where the man sat, leaning against Shelke's shoulder. Lucrecia looked over the man's wounds. Kadaj nodded.

"Take it to him…" he handed the jewelry to the cat.

"What is it?" Aeris asked.

"This…is something that should be returned to its owner." Cait Sith motioned toward Zack very slowly. "You still awake there, lad?"

"Hm?" Zack turned his head slowly, looking down at the feline.

"Hold out yer hand." Cait Sith held out his own gloved hand to drop the item in Zack's hand. Zack complied, lifting his palm upward. The shiny ring was dropped into his palm.

"Oh." Zack muttered in surprise. His brows rose as he looked over the item. "Thought I lost this long ago."

"That's…" Aeris gasped.

"This actually belongs to you." Zack smiled. "I was gonna give this to you a long time ago." The man spoke slowly. He struggled to lift Aeris' hand. The man slid the ring over her tiny finger, a thin smile on his lips.

"Zack?" Aeris asked her tone full of worry. "What's happening to you?"

It was an innocent question, one that hurt Zack just to hear her ask. Reality had finally sunk in.

"I'm dying, Aeris." The man replied rather dull.

"But…" Aeris choked. "What if I don't want you to die?"

"If I could help it…I would." The man breathed a laugh. He was rolling backward, his eyes turning back.

"ZACK!" Aeris caught him, laying him gently on his side as to not let the blade push into him further. "Please don't leave me, not again! You can't do this to me!"

"Third…times…a charm…" the man replied. He was no longer looking at her.

"Look at me! Just look at me one more time!" Aeris cried out, her fingers grabbing his blood soaked shirt.

"Keep it close, Aeris." Zack muttered his voice just below a whisper. "I will be with you; always…you know that…"

"You think it's that easy? You have a plan don't you?" Aeris asked hopefully. "You're coming back, right? I mean…you can come back right?" the woman smiled slightly.

"Nope…" Zack shook his head.

"Zack you can't leave me! I'll hate you!" the girl tried stubbornness.

"Aw…that's no fair." The man frowned. "Naw…I'll find a way back, you know that I'm smart."

"You can't! It…it needs to be a sacrifice Zack!" Aeris said in realization. "That's what it is! You and I came back because we tried to sacrifice ourselves for the planet! Sephiroth and the others came back because they were sacrifices to Jenova for her stupid reunion! Everyone, regardless of being an Ancient or not, are worthy of a second chance as long as they sacrifice themselves for another! There's nothing here! You're just dying!"

"No. you know I can think of something. There's always a way. Always…a way…" the man was fading quickly. He could no longer see his vision passing between bright lights and dark shadows.

"You promise?" Aeris whispered. She closed her eyes, no longer capable of looking at the man. She laid her head on his chest. She cried out. Her heart ached with pain.

Why was this becoming so casual? Why was death a normal circumstance now? Why was it no surprise that something like this had happened? Why wasn't she more shocked? How had she become so numb to everything?

"Cloud." Zack looked around, not seeing Cloud.

"Right here." Cloud said. He placed a hand on Zack's shoulder.

"Worst luck?" Zack asked.

"The worst." Cloud nodded.

"I expect a party when I come back." Zack smirked. "A big one!"

"…Okay." Cloud nodded again.

"Zack." Aeris wrapped her arms around the man's neck.

"Aeris…" the man lifted. "Help me up."

The woman jumped to her feet. "What are you doing?"She grabbed the man's hands as he pulled himself upward. Aeris staggered forward a bit by his weight.

"Cloud…" Zack sighed, the movement letting out more of his blood. He no longer felt any pain. He felt like throwing up, but there was nothing to throw up. Everything was blackening more. He felt like passing out, but that would be giving up. "Pull that bastard outta me."

"Zack. I can't do that." Cloud shook his head.

"Do it!" Zack hollered.

"It'll…kill you." Cloud frowned, not looking at the man.

"Dying anyways, you prefer me to suffer?" the man retorted.

"Zack…Lay back down, please." Aeris pleaded with the man.

"Do it. Hurry. I don't have much longer." Zack looked back at Cloud, his eyes held a strange look. Cloud smiled. He knew that look, no matter how different it was now. It was the look that Zack had a plan. Zack knew what he was doing.

"Ready?" Cloud asked his head looking off to the side meeting Tifa's stare. His hands gripped the blade.

"NOW!" Zack cried out.

In one swift pull; Cloud removed the immense blade from Zack's back. The response was immediate.

"Make it easier for me…" Sephiroth chuckled to himself.

"Just die already!" Cid griped to the evil man on the floor.

"Zack!" Aeris wrapped her arms around the man. Zack gasped at the shock of the weapon being removed. A new wave of pain filled his senses. His body turned ice cold, more cold than he ever felt before in his life. His clothing stuck to his skin, making it all the more painful to move. It wasn't a pretty sight. His head fell forward, resting on her shoulder.

"Everything will be fine." Zack reassured the woman.

"And if you don't come back?"

"I always find a way don't I?"

"I'm sorry I wasn't there the first time." Aeris sniffled.

"It's okay…I managed to get a few soldiers before I died back then." He laughed.

"Please return to me."

"Even if I don't, you need to remember that I'll always be there for you."

"…" Aeris nodded.

"I'll fulfill your wishes someday, Aeris." The man took in another scratchy breath.

"…" she fought back the tears. She wanted to believe the words more than anything.

"Now…one last…thing…" the man lifted his head. His fingertips touched the scratch on the woman's cheek. "Didn't last long enough…earlier…to finish the job." He was silent a long minute.

"I…" Zack began. "I choose _life_."

"Wh, what do you mean-?" She gasped as she felt a tingle as Zack let the last of his life force from his fingertips into the small wound on her cheek. His hand was pressed in hers, gripping the shining materia. "ZACK!" Aeris screamed.

Zack's fingers removed from the woman's face as quick as he had put them there. He fell back, back, and back some more. His pale eyes rolled into his head, his mouth gaping open. Slowly, his wings sunk into his back. His boots scraped against the rocky cliff behind him. Aeris screamed, reaching out for him. Cloud stepped forward, letting her run into his chest.

"What are you doing!?" Aeris cried.

"Let him go, Aeris." Cloud lowered his head.

Zack fell over the side of the cliff and downward into the green Lifestream below. There was a loud splash as his lifeless body crashed into the liquid. Aeris scrambled around Cloud. She dropped to the floor, yelling for Zack as she watched the ripples smooth out into tiny waves. Zack was gone and he was not coming back.

"ZACK!" She screamed, holding the sides of her head and curling into a ball on the floor. She rested her forehead on the ground. "Why!? Why does this happen to him!?"

"He saved you, Aeris." Cloud murmured.

"I don't care!" Aeris stood. She stomped her foot. "I would have died for him as well, but he can't let that happen! He has to die for me! Why can't I die for him!? Why can't we _all_ live!?"

Tifa stood to the side, her mouth covered as she fought to hold back the tears. She couldn't imagine the pain Aeris must be feeling.

'If I lost Cloud…' Tifa held back the thought. She didn't want to imagine what it'd be like to lose Cloud over and over again.

All the others either stood in shock or were too disappointed to say a thing. There was a horribly long silence, the group having to sit through Aeris' cries and screams.

"Oh no!" Lucrecia suddenly shouted.

"What?" Vincent asked.

"Look! I don't know how long he's had that!" the woman pointed.

"Get away!" Sephiroth murmured.

"What'd you do!?" Cloud shouted.

"Get…away…" Sephiroth closed his eyes, his head dropping heavily to the floor. His hand loosened to reveal a black orb in his hand.

"METEOR!?" Cloud cursed.

"How's this possible!?" Vincent grabbed the materia from Sephiroth's hand.

"…He timed it!" Lucrecia gasped.

"What do you mean!?" Cloud growled.

"As soon as Zack died, that was the death of Jenova. Sephiroth summoned a new meteor!" the woman scientist looked about the crater.

"No…it takes longer than that to summon meteor!" Cloud explained.

Lucrecia closed her eyes, feeling the Jenova cells within her body stir. "We must get out of here as soon as possible!"

"Why!?" Vincent asked.

"Sephiroth! Wake up!" Lucrecia shook the silver haired man.

"A week ago…" Sephiroth muttered.

"Shit!" Lucrecia cursed softly. "He summoned it a week ago!"

"What!?" they all yelled.

"Probably as a backup!" Lucrecia cursed again. "Help me!" she tried to lift Sephiroth.

"What are you doing with him?" Vincent stepped in front of the woman.

"Help me, Vincent." Lucrecia begged. "I know I haven't' repented for my sins. But he's my son. I need…I need to save him, help me."

"Vincent!" Cloud warned.

"How will you save him?" Vincent asked.

"I…I'm not sure." Lucrecia bowed her head. "But I can promise you that if he shows any signs of hostility you can kill him!"

"…" Vincent thought a moment.

"Just let me try. There's nothing left on this planet that contains Jenova's pure cells, this I know for sure. All that remains are the cells within our bodies. Right now, Sephiroth is no more capable of causing harm than Cloud is." Lucrecia eyeballed the spiky blond man. There was an awkward silence.

"…Take him, do what you want. The first sign of anything hostile, we're killing him." Cloud glared.

"Agreed." Lucrecia nodded. She lifted Sephiroth's shoulders. Her eyes fell on Vincent's.

"…" The crater began to rumble.

"Vincent." The woman spoke. "Please help me. I can't…I can't do this alone."

"…I thought I said I was through with all of this."

"I understand…" Lucrecia deflated.

"Vincent." Yuffie approached the red eyed man. She placed a hand on his shoulder. She had seen the look on Vincent's face when he first saw Lucrecia. It took a lot for her to say the next words to the man. "Help her out, for crying out loud. Isn't this what you've been waiting for all these years?"

"Yuffie?" Vincent looked down at the young woman.

"Go help her!" Yuffie shoved him a bit.

"But…" Vincent stared at the girl in disbelief.

"No buts! Now go!" the ninja girl ordered.

"Okay!" Lucrecia nodded. Vincent helped her with Sephiroth's body.

"Everybody to the plane!" Cid hollered. He leaned on Barret for support. "That means you too, lil missie!" he pointed to Aeris. Debris began to fall from the roof and large cracks formed on the walls.

"Aeris!" Tifa ran up to the woman who was still staring at the green waves of the Lifestream. "Come on…we need to get out of here. If you stay here, then you've lost everything. Zack would have died in vain!"

"But…he's down there. I can still save him…" Aeris mumbled softly.

"No! Aeris! He's dead! Now come on!" Tifa grabbed the girl's arm. In one tug Aeris was lifted to her feet and being pulled, kicking and screaming, out of the crater.

* * *

The Highwind rushed through the air at full speed. Cid let all rocket boosters off at once, trying his best to get away from the Northern Crater as soon as possible.

"Look!" Lucrecia cheered. She pointed to the sky.

"It's already here!" Tifa gasped.

"Yes! But it's size!" Lucrecia smiled.

"It's too small to cause any serious damage!" Tifa announced.

"Why is that?" Yuffie asked.

"Sephiroth, he was too weak! I bet he wasn't able to conjure enough energy to form a deadly size!" Lucrecia hypothesized. "He has been having trouble channeling her energies, right? And not to mention, he's in critical condition right now. It's not going to cause as much harm as he planned!"

"Then that means were all safe!?" Barret asked.

"Should be…but it's hard to tell. It very well may cause a shift in the rotation of the planet, or cause a major cloud of dust to cover the planet. And that may be just as bad as crushing the place into bits." Lucrecia glanced out the window of the airship. "But…Hey! What's…that?"

"…" Everyone watched as a bright green light flooded out of the crater's mouth.

"Lifstream!" Cloud shouted. "It's the Lifestream!"

"Just like last time!" Tifa smiled. "I can't believe it!"

"Zack…" Cloud sighed. "Damn it man, do you ever rest?"

The group watched silently as the tiny meteor crashed into the Northern crater. The bright light of the Lifestream battled with the giant space boulder. It eroded into tiny pieces and then those pieces were crumbled too, until there was half the meteor left. After a few seconds the meteor finally made contact. It may have been tiny, but there was a large shockwave that blew across the planet. Besides that, there was no major harm done to the planet. Sephiroth's last and final attempts would have only been of his benefit if they all had remained in the crater. But he had warned them all beforehand. Lucrecia smiled to herself at the thought. That meant he was showing emotional attachment.

Cheers sounded from aboard the plane, only one person was silent and that was Aeris.

'Everyone's safe…except for Zack.' Aeris frowned.

"This is all your fault!" Aeris sobbed. She glared at the silver long haired man lying atop one of the tables in the lower level of Cid's plane. Kadaj also lay a few feet away, medical machines beeping. He was out cold, unaware of the woman in the room with him and Sephiroth. "Zack would still be alive if it weren't for you!"

The woman held onto the heavy sword in her hand, Sephiroth's sword.

"You deserve to die the same way he died!" Aeris raised the weapon over her head and took a very deep breath.

* * *

Okay! Have to end it here for the night! Im sorry, but there was a lot to add to this chapter so it was kinda a mouthful! Lol. Hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! I'm goin to bed now! Thanks for reading and reviewing!-Annubis


	34. Chapter 34

Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! Getting closer to the end of this story! I thank those who stuck with it till the end! This, however, will NOT be the last chapter. I hope you all have enjoyed it so far. Anyways, I have a long one ahead of me, letis get started. –Annubis123

* * *

**The Decision Between Life or Death:**

**A Second Chance**

**Chapter 34**

"I'm going to kill you. Put you back to where you belong!" Aeris growled gruffly. Her eyes were red and her lashes sticking together. Her hair and clothes were a mess. She glared down menacingly at Sephiroth who lay atop the medical table.

The Ancient closed her eyes, hand squeezing the handle of the long Masamune blade. She counted to three and then brought the sword down with all her might. The blade neared the silver haired man's neck. Only one more inch to go and Aeris' arms stopped moving. Her eyes were clenched shut still, her brow furrowed.

"Don't do it." A monotone voice sounded from next to the woman. Aeris gave out a long defeated sigh. She slowly opened her eyes to come face to face with Cloud. His forearm rested below the handle of the sword and Aeris' fingers. A stray tear dripped from her cheek.

"Don't?" She puckered her lips in anger. "Cloud, you of all people…and you tell me not to kill this man!?"

Cloud hung his head, avoiding her angry gaze. "You're not one to kill Aeris, it isn't you. You're an Ancient. You're meant to heal people, not kill them."

"But…" the woman dropped the sword. "What about all the things he's done?" she folded her arms, turning her back on Cloud. "Now…after everything, you stand up for him?"

"You know I want nothing more than for his life to be over. He's caused so much pain to the world…us." The blonde shook his head. "I would love to see him suffer, Aeris, but I made a promise."

"And of all the promises in the world, you intend on keeping this one!?" the woman turned quickly, her eyes like needles.

"…" Cloud was speechless. He stared at the pale man on the table. There was a long silence.

"What if it was Tifa?" she spoke bitterly.

"…Tifa?" Cloud raised his head.

"Yeah. What if it was Tifa who was killed? Would you not want revenge? Especially after you were granted another chance to see her again and watched her meet the same fate over and over again?" the woman's features were contorted into an expression of rage. She had never been so angry in her life.

"You know Zack is just as important." Cloud mumbled.

"Just a friend, but not a lover." Aeris spat. She turned around quickly to leave.

"Aeris. Revenge won't settle anything." The man whispered.

"…" the woman froze a minute. "How many times have you had yours, Cloud?"

"It still doesn't bring anybody back." He frowned. "Everyone, everything stays the same. You and Zack did not come back because I defeated Sephiroth. You may kill him now, and he'd stay dead forever, but you'll only retain that empty feeling. The need to have a goal, a plan stays. You're left in a world of desperateness. You have nothing left, nothing to do. And for you…" he looked up at the woman. She was watching him sadly. "I can't imagine what it would be like for you to live that kind of life."

Aeris averted her gaze. She glanced at Sephiroth once more and then Kadaj. "Sometimes…forgiving people just isn't enough." The woman spun on her heel and walked out of the room. "If he gives me another reason, I won't let him live."

Cloud watched Aeris' back as she stomped up the metal grated stairs of the ship. He never expected such harsh words to come from that woman, but then again he she was right. He would be doing the same if it was Tifa.

"I trust Zack. He'll come back." Cloud muttered to himself. "And you, Aeris, of all people should know that he never breaks a promise."

* * *

"What a mess." Tifa sighed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes.

"Looks like we got out of there just in time. " Lucrecia stared at the pale glow of the television sitting above Tifa's bar.

"_It seems the meteor hit in the exact location as the meteor from over two-thousand years ago. It hit in the direct center of the Northern Crater. Scientists are investigating the crater, but it is unknown as to what they are looking for. The probability of a meteor hitting in the exact location of the planet is somewhere near one and twenty-three billion. Scientists are trying to calculate the planet's rotation and orbital location of the day this meteor hit and are trying to find corresponding results as the first strike two-thousand years ago." _

"Damn scientists, always causing trouble." Reno scoffed. Elena elbowed him roughly, clearing her throat. "Erm…no offense." The man looked over his shoulder at Lucrecia.

"I agree with you." The woman replied. She stared at the screen as a scientist came onto the show to talk about his reports on the event of the meteor crash. "They are so full of themselves as well…" she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Perhaps we should tell them what happened?" Yuffie spun slowly on a barstool.

"That would only cause a panic with the people. It's bad enough that there were rumors going around that Sephiroth was alive. If they found out he was the cause of this and was still alive and we didn't dispose of him, we'd have a huge problem on our hands." The television's images reflected in Tseng's dark eyes.

"Mass hysteria." Rude nodded.

"Wouldn't want people showing up at your doorstep with torches and pitchforks demanding the monster be turned over to them." Elena snorted.

"Please don't call him that." Lucrecia whispered. "I know he has done bad things, but I have no doubt in my mind that it was all due to Jenova's hold on him."

Elena frowned.

"All I ask is you give him another chance. One where he can try to live like a normal human being" the scientist pleaded.

"It's going to be difficult for people to understand what's happened. They aren't going to warm up to Sephiroth immediately." Vincent warned the woman.

"I know this." Lucrecia closed her eyes. "All I want is for my child to have a chance at a normal life."

"It'll never be normal." Vincent replied.

"He can still try. I'm sure someone will find goodness in him." Lucrecia smiled.

"I want to go home." A soft whimper sounded from the woman laying her head on the bar.

"I'll take Aeris home." Cid lifted his chin. He tugged on a lose string of the arm sling he wore.

"Ok." Tifa nodded. "Aeris, you'll be alright?"

"I'll be fine." The young woman slid off the bar stool and grabbed her jacket. "I just wanna see mom."

Everyone watched the woman nervously. She had barely smiled let alone said a word in the past few days.

"I should be getting home to Shera as well. She's worried sick 'bout me. I know I'm in for a lecture as soon as I get back." The man stared at the bandages around his torso.

"Can you drop me off at Reeve's? Gotta pick up the kids." Barret grabbed his coat.

"Yeah…sure thang." Cid struggled with putting his free arm into the sleeve of his jacket. "Should start charging you guys…"

"Then no more free drinks for you." Tifa grinned.

"Ah, damn." Cid shook his head. "Wouldn't wanna lose Tifa's good hospitality." He chuckled to himself. The television interrupted the small conversation.

"_It seems that there's been a terrible side effect of the recent meteor strike. The Lifestream seems to be fading quickly. The last few remaining power plants running on Mako energy have been shut down in order to slow down the evaporation of the life force. Scientists are baffled as to why this is occurring." _

"How odd." Lucrecia furrowed her brow. Shots from a helicopter showed the crater being overrun by scientists, news teams, and government personnel from all around the world.

"_From now on, until this investigation has been concluded, it is prohibited to use and Mako energy for the protection of the planet. Some say it's only a matter of time before the planet's life force will be completely depleted-." _The television was shut off.

"I think we've seen enough of that." Cloud cleared his throat. He looked back at Aeris who seemed like she was about to die of depression.

"But…if the Lifestream is gone…doesn't that mean that those who are in it…" Yuffie began.

"Let's not talk about that right now." Red XIII ran the top of his head against Yuffie's calf.

"Hm? Oh…yeah." The girl shut her mouth quickly. She looked at Aeris from the corner of her eye.

"Well, let's head out. It's getting late and I'm sure your mother's worried sick 'bout ya." Cid placed his hand on Aeris' shoulder. The woman jumped slightly at the touch.

The woman looked up at the pilot and nodded slowly. He led her out the door and to the plane after a series of numerous awkward goodbyes. They all promised not to be strangers and to visit often. Cid frowned, watching Aeris climb into the cabin of the ship.

"You're gonna be alright." Cid said after a while. Barret co piloted the ship, helping out the man.

"Cid's right." Barret nodded. "Everything will be good as new in no time."

"…" Aeris stared out the front window of the airship. She watched the twinkling stars overhead pass by.

Barret and Cid exchanged a worried look and they didn't say a word the rest of the flight home.

"Thank you for the ride, Cid." Aeris said softly as she opened the door to the ship. A cold breeze invaded the ship, choking Aeris.

"Better get inside fast. Don't want you getting sick." Cid ordered.

"You're going to be a fine daddy, Cid." Aeris replied as she climbed down the ladder to the ground below.

"Was that supposed to be a joke?" Cid grunted.

"Naw. You may be dumb, but I agree with her." Barret chuckled. "You're bossy enough to be a father."

"You see this boot?" Cid asked, cocking his head to the side. He raised his foot.

"Yeah, whud 'bout it?" Barret eyed the man suspiciously.

"Has it met your face yet?" the pilot retorted.

* * *

"Aeris!" Elmyra exclaimed in surprise as she opened the door to her small home. She pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. "Oh! You're alright! I'm so glad! How are you feeling!? Oh…you look awfully pale. And so thin! Have you not been eating? Look at your hair! It's a mess. Don't they take care of you? Oh you poor thing! Come inside, quickly. You'll catch a cold!" The chattering mother tugged her daughter into the warm home.

Aeris stood in the living room. She took a deep breath and looked about her. The room was lit by the orange light of the fireplace. It smelled of burnt wood and spice. Aeris sighed comfortably. She was home again. She was home with her mother, just like so many years ago.

"I'm glad you're okay." Elmyra smiled warmly.

"What about Zack...? I mean…" Aeris stared at nothing. "His parents."

"…They were informed by Reeve a few days ago." Elmyra tugged at her lip. "But let's not worry about that! You're hungry, aren't you? Let me make you some soup! Some nice warm soup and a cup of tea. I'll run you some bath water." Elmyra busied herself as Aeris slowly looked around the small house. It was cozy and all, but something bothered her. There were no pictures on the walls.

"No pictures…" Aeris whispered.

"Huh?" Elmyra stopped and looked at Aeris. She had her arms full of clean laundry. "Oh that Mr. Reeve is very nice. I…I was so upset after hearing you died. It would have hurt me so much to see photographs of you every day. I don't know what I was thinking. After Reeve told me that you were alive again, I asked him for a favor and he kindly brought me all the things from the old house in the slums. Your clothes, the photographs, even your old piggy bank you hid under the floorboards. He was so kind. Most of the things are still in boxes though." The woman tossed the clothes onto a nearby chair.

"I prepared a room for you. I tried to set it up just the way you had your old room. Here's a quilt. If you want to make your way up there and get ready for your bath it's just up those stairs. It's practically the 

only room up there. There's a small bathroom down the hall up there as well." Elmyra continued her rambles as Aeris ascended the stairs. She heard the creaking and groaning of the boards. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"Can I eat in my room?" Aeris asked at the top of the stairs. Her mother never let her eat in her room.

"…sure." Elmyra nodded. "Honey, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Aeris nodded quickly. "Just tired."

"I'll have everything set up and ready for you in your room."

"Thanks mom." Aeris turned and made her way into her new room.

She had quickly changed and enjoyed the nice hot bubble bath her mother had drawn for her. The girl was now sitting on her bed in a white fluffy robe, sipping at her soup. She stared out the dark window beside her bed. She couldn't see anything but the tiny lights of the city and the stars. It was silent here, the complete opposite of the slums where it was always like day and the noise never stopped. Aeris set her spoon in her bowl, the clatter louder than she had expected. The woman placed the dishes on the end table beside her bed. She reached to turn off the lamp and froze. Next to her clock was a photograph. The only one Aeris had seen in the house. Her dainty fingers ran along the frame as she stared at the image. It was a photograph of her and Zack in the garden outside her old home. They both leaned against the fence. Aeris was smiling, twirling a single flower in between her fingers. Zack was grinning, a hand scratching the back of his head. Between the two of them rest their hands on the top fence post, their fingers interlaced with each other's. It was a photograph her mother had taken a long time ago when she was snooping through the kitchen window.

"Zack…where are you?" Aeris barely whispered to herself.

She and all the others had remained at Tifa's for a few days, waiting for Zack to arrive. They all thought the same thing. Zack was coming back and it would be as soon as possible. But Zack never showed up. Aeris was happy to hear Cid offer to give her a ride home. She knew he was thinking the same thing. Aeris needed to go home, get her mind off of things. Being around her friends and waiting for Zack all day every day was not healthy. All Aeris would do was stare at the television and watch the news, waiting for a report of a mysterious man crawling out of the Lifestream. But there was nothing. There was no news about Zack. There were no phone calls or strangers at the door. Aeris was already beginning to lose hope.

She grabbed the photograph and placed it against her chest, new tears stinging her eyes. She shut off the lamp and dove under the covers of her bed. She held the frame closely against her like a soft teddy bear. The young woman sniffled herself to sleep.

* * *

9 months later

Aeris sat on the window sill. The glass was open and a gentle breeze blew through, sending goose bumps over her skin. The warm weather was changing quicker than Aeris had wanted. It seemed like only yesterday there was snow still on the ground. She twisted and tied the stems of the flowers in her hands to make a tiny crown.

'He's gonna love this.' Aeris smiled.

"_The Lifestream is nothing more than a trickle in that area. The land is now barren, the inhabitants of Icicle Inn forced to leave and migrate south."_ The news reporter announced tragically.

Aeris turned her attention to the screen. It flashed images of the dead land up North. The once icy continent now was nothing but a cracked and dry desert. People were being forced to leave their homes. Nothing was alive. There were no trees, no grass. Everything was dead. She frowned. The planet was dying and with it, so were the souls of the Lifestream.

Over the past few months Aeris seemed to lose all contact with the underworld. There were no more voices of the planet. Every now and then she'd hear a terrible cry of pain. She listened intently each time, no matter how much it hurt her, waiting for a familiar sound. One that belonged to someone she once knew. None of them, however, sounded like the man who left her in the Northern Crater. It was both a relief and a disappointment. Her hope would grow with each thought that he was still alright in the Lifestream but it would quickly diffuse. If he was alright, then why wasn't he back yet? Maybe she hadn't recognized his cry of pain. Maybe he truly died and disappeared in her sleep. And those thoughts haunted her daily.

She would dream of him, Zack holding her in her sleep. He would whisper in her ear. Sing her songs and tell her stories of his days in SOLDIER and all the pranks he pulled on Cloud.

Aeris wrapped her arms around herself, a petal dropping to the floor. She tried to think of the last dream she had of the man. They were becoming more and more scarce each time she slept.

"_Aeris. It's a mess down here. You'd be so disappointed. More and more of those little orbs disappear each day." Zack sat on the foot of the woman's bed. He played with her long hair. "I…I have to watch helplessly as everyone dies. I don't know what to do. It's a battle down there and I can't fight anything. The enemy is some invisible force. I'm not sure what's happening but I feel so helpless not having any control." The man let out a ragged sigh._

"_Lila's gone. I held her tiny little orb in my fingers as she cried herself away into nothingness." Zack's eyes were dull, blank. "I couldn't stop it! I had to watch as she died! The tiny orb of light…is gone."_

_Aeris couldn't move. She could only watch. Zack rested his forehead in his hand, his fingers running through his hair. _

"_If only you were here…" the man spoke, his voice breaking. Tears fell down his cheeks. "I've never been scared of death before Aeris…but this time…"_

_Aeris finally sat up. She freed herself from her invisible chains. _

"_This time…I'm so scared." Zack sobbed loudly. "I'm all alone. There's no one left. I just wait. Wait for the day I am erased from history. The day I become nothing." He shook as he cried. "Help me."_

_Aeris reached forward, wanting to desperately wrap her arms around the man. Nothing was there to grab. Her arms flew through his body. _

"_I…I don't want to become nothing…" Zack muttered to himself. "What is nothing? What's the point of life if you end up becoming nothing? How can something be nothing?" Zack rocked back and forth. _

_Aeris ran her arms through his form over and over again. Nothing worked. The man was slowly fading. Her hands couldn't grasp anything. She tried to speak but no words could form in her mouth. _

"_Help me Aeris…" the man whispered, his form quickly disappearing before her eyes. _

_Aeris frantically tried to pull him into her, but there was nothing. Zack was leaving her yet again. _

"_I don't want to become nothing." The man was a ghost now. All Aeris could see was his fading eyes as he looked up at her one last time. He disintegrated into tiny green sparkling lights all over her bed and floor. She screamed silently, scrambling her hands over the tiny embers. She heard a soft whisper in her ear._

'_Don't forget me.'_

That was the last time she had dreamt of the man.

"I can't ever forget you, Zack." Aeris talked to the flowers in her hands.

"Aeris!?" Elmyra called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah, mom?" Aeris stood from the sill, stretching.

"I'm heading off to Gongaga for a couple days. You going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine." Aeris leaned against the door frame. "I can take care of myself." She twirled the ring on her finger.

"I just didn't want to leave you alone here with the baby." Elmyra slid on her sweater.

"I can handle him just fine." Aeris smiled.

"Well, you know his father. Can be quite the handful." Elmyra rolled her eyes.

"I know…" Aeris grinned. "But he can't walk yet so I think I can manage."

"If you say so." Elmyra sighed. "Just wish you could come with me this time. They've been asking about you so much."

"I'll visit them the next time, I promise." Aeris nodded.

"Ok. Well you take care of yourself and give us a call; they'd love to hear your voice." Elmyra grabbed her purse and went to the door.

"Will do, mom." Aeris went back into her room.

"Oh and that cute girl from Wutai wrote you another letter. The wedding's been rescheduled finally. She's so upset!" Elmyra laughed. "But I really think her and her soon to be husband make a cute couple."

"Mom! You read my mail!?" Aeris rolled her eyes.

"Well I would like to know what's going on in your friend's lives as well!" Aeris listened as the front door opened. "Bye, dear!"

"Bye!" Aeris drug out.

"Leftovers in the fridge."

"I know!" Aeris called down.

"Bye! Love you!"

"Bye! Love you too!" she called back down. She waited a second for the door downstairs to close. "Finally. Thought she'd never leave!" Aeris grinned. She looked over the side of the crib in her room. Bright blue eyes stared up at her. "Right?"

A tiny baby squeal sounded from the crib.

"OH yes we are!" Aeris giggled. She wrinkled her nose at the child. Another squeal sounded.

"Look what I made you!" Aeris lifted the flower crown. "Do you like it?"

The baby raised his tiny hands into the air.

"You do!? Well then, I'm happy!" Aeris grinned. She lifted the baby from the crib and carried him about the room, setting the crown on his head. "Oh, it compliments your eyes so well! Just like daddy's, right?"

There was a soft knock at the door.

"Oh! Speaking of…" Aeris turned and headed down the stairs. "Looks like we've got us a visitor!" Aeris trotted down the stairs, her dress flowing with her striding legs.

Aeris pulled open the front door.

"Hi!" she smiled happily.

Blue eyes looked down at her and then at the boy in her arms.

"What is that on his head?"

* * *

Aeris was unaware of the staring eyes looking up at her. A man leaned against a neighboring building, watching her through the window. He hid in the shadows as the girl's mother walked by. Once the mother was out of sight the man hurried up to the window by the living room. There he saw Aeris standing in the living room, bouncing a happy baby on her hip. She hadn't changed a bit, not since the man had last seen her.

He squint his eyes, looking at the baby. It had bright blue eyes that sparkled in the light.

Then he frowned. Aeris handed the baby over to a man who was standing in the doorway. The figure pressed against the glass, trying to see the man's face but it was hidden under a cap. The two were saying goodbye and the man kissed her on the cheek before he left the house with the baby in his arms.

The shady man turned the corner of the house quickly just in time to see the man turn around the other corner. He had spikes of blonde hair sticking out from under his cap. The spy froze.

'Seems she moved on…' the man swallowed. 'That man had long…spiky…blonde hair.'

"Cloud…" the figure cursed and sprinted away from the house, nearly tripping as he did so.

* * *

"What? This?" Aeris beamed. "It's a flower crown."

"Ya wanna tell me why the hell my boy has flowers on his head?" the man pointed a finger at the child. The baby happily grabbed it and squeezed hard, squealing.

"He happens to like them, Cid." Aeris pulled the baby away possessively.

"You're gonna end up stealing my child, aren't you?" Cid folded his arms.

"If I could, you know it." The woman winked.

"At least I would know he was in safe hands." The pilot smirked.

"So, how was you and Shera's vacation?"

"She loved the beach!" Cid smiled. "Nice to see her in her bathin' suit again!" the man raised his brows.

"I bet…but you…in a bathing suit?" Aeris giggled.

"I happen to have been workin' on my figure, ma'am." Cid flexed his arm. He winced in pain.

"How's that shoulder?" she looked worried.

"Aw it's fine. Still trying to get it back into shape."

"You take it easy. I don't want any more emergency phone calls from Shera asking me to drop by and give you a spell or two." She waved a finger at the man.

"Yeah…I know." Cid frowned. He held out his arms. "Lemme see my lil one." She handed the child over. The baby reached for Aeris, whimpering.

"You're hair is getting so long!" Aeris tugged on a long bang.

"Oh this mop? Yeah…lookin a tad bit like a chocobo head." Cid pointed to his cap. "This helps hide it. Been so busy with the new rocket I haven't been able to worry much about my hair."

"So when are you off into space?" Aeris asked.

"Not sure. Gonna take a while. Few years. But when I do, I'm takin' this lil one with me."

"Family vacation?" Aeris grinned.

"Damn straight." He looked down at his boy who was now dozing off in his arms.

"Well I won't keep you, Cid." Aeris placed her hand on the edge of the door.

"Sorry to leave in a hurry." Cid muttered.

"It's fine. You just visit every now and then so I can see my baby boy." Aeris grinned.

"You're baby boy?" Cid smirked.

"Damn straight." Aeris nodded.

"Guess Shera did make you the god mother…" Cid rocked the child.

"…" Aeris only smiled.

"Well I'm gonna head off. You take care of yourself while your mother's gone. You have any troubles at all you know who to call."

"Yup." She bobbed her head.

"Good." Cid leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Aeris' cheek. "Be good." He pointed at her and headed out the door.

Aeris slowly closed the door behind him. She leaned up against it, sighing. Her head fell quickly and she stared at her own stomach. A sound came from outside the window. She quickly raised her head. Curiosity always got the best of her. She squint her eyes and noticed a smudge on the window.

'Someone was here…' Aeris felt her heart skip a beat. It looked like someone had pressed their face against the glass.

The woman ran to the window. She opened it quickly and stuck out her head. There was no one in sight. She frowned, dropping her head once again. Then she noticed the flowers outside. They were smashed.

'_Zack! You're smashing the flowers! What did I tell you about standing in my garden?!'_

"Oh!" Suddenly feeling panicked the woman ran to the front door and pulled it open. She darted around the side of the house, looking from side to side.

"Hector!" she called out.

"Wark?" A yellow bird stuck his head through a hole in the fence behind the house.

"Come on! We're leaving!" Aeris waved at the bird. She tugged on the gate with a grunt and out flew the giant bird. She pulled on its reigns and hopped onto its back. "There was someone here. You can follow him!?" Aeris asked the bird.

The creature honked happily and took off at the speed of light toward the edge of town where the grassy plains lay.

"Hurry!" Aeris bit her lip. She felt a terrible sting in her eyes. A burst of wind shot up, blowing dust and leaves around. It was Cid's ship. He was taking off.

"Now where the hell is she goin'?" Cid looked out the window. He narrowed his gaze and gaped at the sight of the woman riding the golden chocobo as fast as his plane flew.

"_Hey! Where you going!?"_ he called over the intercom.

He saw Aeris look up and wave in recognition. Too bad she couldn't respond.

"Crazy girl." Cid shook his head. He laughed to himself. Something caught his attention. There was someone striding through the tall grass only about a half mile away. The man looked up at the ship in recognition. Cid saw the man pull a hand to shield his eyes from the sun, and that gaze was recognizable. The pilot quickly grabbed the radio for the intercom once again. He fumbled with it, the cord tangling around his body.

"_SHIT! GIRL you best hurry your ass up!"_ Cid shouted. _"Head more to the left!"_ He dropped the radio, cursing.

"Hurry, Hector!" Aeris tightened her grip on the reigns.

The woman squint her eyes, trying to get a better look. She saw a figure suddenly turn and face her.

'Oh god!' the woman swallowed hard.

"WAIT!" she called out. The bird stumbled over a large rock, sending Aeris falling over the side. "Agh!" she grunted as she dropped to the ground.

'Stupid…bird….' Aeris sighed and got back to her feet.

"Wait!" she called out again, sprinting through the grass, the chocobo left behind and squawking in disapproval. "Please!"

She couldn't see. The sun was in her eyes. Overhead she could hear Cid's engines purring at a low speed. Aeris felt her heart pounding. She couldn't see anything, so she trusted her instincts.

"ZACK! WAIT!" she breathed heavily. It was then that she saw the figure. It was walking toward her, now running. "Please…don't leave me!"

She felt arms wrap around her, lifting her in the air.

"I'm never leaving you." A soft whisper sounded in her ear. Aeris gasped loudly, hearing that voice. One she hadn't heard in almost a year. She looked at the man before her, his dark hair hung in his face like a mess. His blue eyes were glowing.

"It _is_ you!" Aeris tugged him downward, closer to her. "You have no idea how much I've missed you!"

"I missed you…" the man mumbled against her neck. His voice was breaking.

"What? What's wrong?" she held his face, looking into his eyes.

"…I…I thought you may have forgotten."

"I'd never forget you!" Aeris pushed herself against him, kissing him. Her hands tangled with his hair. He was rigid at first but quickly relaxed, breathing out and giving in to her. They parted after a moment, resting their foreheads together. Aeris laughed to herself.

"I can't believe it…you're really here." She smiled. "I…I waited day and night for you." She grabbed him again. "Why…? Why did it take so long?"

"…It took us so long to figure it out last time that we didn't notice."

"What?"

"Coming back is rebirth." The man explained.

"Re-birth…yeah, so?"

"How long does it take to give birth?"

"Nine months!" Aeris gasped.

"Exactly." Zack whispered. He kissed her cheek and her neck.

"Oh…" Aeris moaned. "But…the sacrifice…how did you?"

"For you." Zack moaned against her collar bone. "That last burst of energy I sent through you…that was the last of my life force. If I didn't do it, then it wouldn't have been a sacrifice." He stopped with the kisses. "I would still be dead…and I would probably be gone…forever by now. I got out just in time."

"Then…the Lifestream…" Aeris frowned.

"Everything's dying, Aeris." The man sighed. He looked old and tired.

"Let's not talk about that." She whispered. "We'll figure it out."

"…Nine months. It's been that long." He placed a hand on the woman's stomach. "I saw him."

"Who?" Aeris pushed away, confused.

"The, the baby." Zack seemed confused himself. "You were with Cloud…" he looked away.

"Cloud!?" Aeris giggled. "That wasn't Cloud!" she pointed to the sky. "It was Cid! His hair has grown out. And the baby is his and Shera's! I was watching him for them while they went on vacation!" Aeris kissed the baffled man on the cheek.

"Then…that means…but you. I thought you were…" the man poked her tummy.

"I…" Aeris frowned after a moment. "I had a miscarriage, Zack."

"…" he was dumbfounded. "Oh no…Aeris. I'm sorry. I…" he thought a moment and then curled his hand into a fist, hitting his forehead. "It's all my fault."

"No, no!" Aeris grabbed the man's shoulder as he turned from her.

"I did this…I hit you…killed the baby." Zack growled in frustration. His hands began shaking.

"Zack. It's okay. I'm okay. We had no idea…" the woman stared at the ground.

"Mine or his." Zack covered his face.

"No clue. Maybe it's better that way." The woman nodded.

"I'm so sorry!" Zack turned and wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't you dare blame yourself. We're starting over, you hear me?" Aeris ran her hands up and down the man's back, soothing his tremors.

"Start over?"

"Uh huh." She nodded. "Just you and me."

"You and me." Zack looked up at her. "You're giving me a second chance?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I!?" the woman giggled.

"…" He held onto her. It was desperate. He needed her. Aeris took a deep breath. She had no idea what he had gone through over the last nine months in the Lifestream, but she could tell it was bad.

"Zack…" Aeris tickled him as she ran her fingers down his side. "I love you." She kissed him again.

"I love you, Aeris. You're more important to me than anything." The man curled around her, needing the comfort of her touch. "So much…"

"Let's go home, Zack." Aeris grabbed the man's hand.

* * *

Aeris sighed deeply. She played with the man's dark bangs as he dozed next to her. A soft breeze blew the white curtains outward into the bedroom. Aeris smiled, breathing in the fresh air. She looked back at the man, he was watching her now. They lay tangled in the soft bed sheets.

"What?" she asked, giggling.

"You remember what it was like the first time you went outside?" the man asked, running a finger down her bare collarbone.

"Yeah."

"And the time I first took you out on a picnic?" A finger ran down her ribcage.

"Of course!"

"The first time you saw snow."

"Mm hm." She nodded.

"The beach?" he looked up at her as he placed his hand on her hip. She nodded in response.

"The first time you saw the City of the Ancients?"

"Beautiful." She whispered.

"The first time you laid eyes on me?" he smirked.

"Cute." She giggled and poked his nose.

"Imagine what it'd be like…to see all of those all at once." The man breathed in deeply, more relaxed than he ever felt in his entire life. Aeris closed her eyes.

"Yeah." She smiled. It was quiet. She opened her eyes and looked down at the man. "Why?"

"That feeling…isn't even close to the feeling I had when I first kissed you." The man twirled her hair with a finger.

The woman was speechless. She gave a squeal of delight and crawled on top of the naked man, kissing him softly, her leg between his. He held onto her lightly, feeling her soft skin under his fingertips. The wind from outdoors blew in once again, the sheets dancing over their bodies.

"I'm never letting you go again." Aeris held onto him.

* * *

The Lifestream bubbled and boiled with steam. It crackled and popped, turning into sludge. The Northern Crater was finally silent. Radiation and death being it's only civilians. No more scientists investigated the area. No animals were near for hundreds of miles.

The trickling Lifestream was gone now, turned into something else. It began to take shape, forming into something new, something that wasn't supposed to be on the planet.

'_Reunion_…' a whisper sounded upon no ears in the Northern Crater.

* * *

Okay! That's it for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Man…the next one's gonna be a loooong one! I still have much to write. Thanks for reading and reviewing and I hope you continue to the last chapter! –Annubis


	35. Chapter 35

Hey everyone! Thanks for reading and reviewing on the last chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! I hope you can be as pleased with this last one!- Annubis

* * *

**The Decision Between Life or Death:**

**A Second Chance**

**Chapter 35**

The warm gentle breeze was soothing. The feel of the soft blankets were just right and so was the fluff of the pillow. The smooth skin of the body lying next to him was perfect. Zack Fair was never going to leave this bed.

_RING _

The 'beautiful' sound of the telephone ringing downstairs…

Zack frowned as he felt Aeris shifting in her sleep. He wrapped his arm around her tightly, not wanting her to get up.

"Zack." Her soft lips whispered as she looked over her shoulder at him.

"Em em." He shook his head quickly and snuggled in closer. The phone continued its blaring alarm.

"Zack…it's not going to stop." Aeris giggled.

"If we wait just long enough." Zack smiled as the ringing finally stopped. "See, I told you." The man felt triumphed. Then, the atrocious sound began again.

'Crap.' The man frowned.

"It may be mom!" Aeris pulled the covers away from her body and leapt off the bed. Zack covered himself quickly with the white sheet. He enjoyed the view as Aeris fumbled with the robe next to the bed.

"Come back." The man whined holding out a hand.

The woman ignored him and hurried down the stairs, her bare feet pattering against the wooden floor. Aeris picked up the phone. "Hello-?" she growled in frustration and hung it up quickly. Whoever it was on the other line had just hung up. She bit on her fingernail, waiting. Sure enough, the phone started up once again. She raised the receiver quickly to her ear. "Hello!?"

"_Oh my god, Aeris! What took you so long!?"_ it was Tifa. The woman went on, not giving Aeris time to answer. _"Where is he!?"_

"Who?" Aeris smiled.

"_You know who! Come on! Put him on the phone!"_ the woman shouted. _"Cloud's here too, he's getting _quite impatient."

Aeris grinned. Cid must've spilled the beans already. Aeris yawned loudly. "You woke me up."

"…_You were sleeping?!"_ Aeris could hear a smack, no doubt Tifa hitting her forehead. _"But it's only…Oh."_

"That's right." Aeris nodded to herself.

"_I didn't interrupt…anything…did I?" _

"No!" Aeris giggled. "But you certainly didn't give me time to get dressed!"

"_Oh my!"_ Tifa cackled. _"Details!"_

There was the sound of some shouting and rustling through the phone. Aeris listened intently.

"_Where is he, Aeris?"_ Cloud's not so calm voice sounded. _"Cid already told us he's there!" _

Aeris felt two arms tangle around her waist. Zack had his pants on and decided to leave his chest bare. He pressed against her, kissing her neck. Aeris giggled.

"_Aeris!? Are you there!?"_ Cloud's voice screamed through the receiver.

"It's for you." Aeris held out the phone for Zack.

"Me?" the man pointed at himself.

"Yup." She nodded.

"Ok…" Zack gave her a confused look. "Hell-"

"_ZACK! What the hell!? What's with not calling us!? We had to hear it from Cid! What are you doing!? How long have you been back!? Why didn't you call!? Are you alright? The Lifestream! What-." _Cloud went on with his barrage of questions.

Zack gave Aeris an overwhelmed look.

"Just recently. Went straight here. No cell phone. No money. Had to walk here. No chocobo. Took a while. Got here. She was the first thing on my mind. Haven't told my parents yet. No. I know. You got my party planned?" Zack spoke in fragments. He answered some questions Aeris had as well. He ended with a good question.

"…_Now_!" Cloud said after a minute.

"Now?" Zack beamed.

"_Get your ass over here!"_ the man ordered.

"Sure sure." Zack nodded. He gave Aeris a thumbs up. She tilted her head to the side. "Will do. Alright. Okay. Bye Cloud. Love you too!" Zack hung up the phone.

"So?" Aeris giggled.

"Man! Looks like we're goin' on vacation." Zack rubbed the back of his head.

The two hurried to pack their things and loaded up on Hector, how was very much happy to see his previous owner once again.

* * *

"Hurry! They're going to be here any minute!" Tifa pulled the cake out of the oven.

"What's taking them so long!?" Yuffie huffed. "Cid, why didn't you pick 'em up?"

"Don't you nag me! I ain't responsibility of everyone." Cid huffed.

"I figured they'd take Hector. Give them some time together." Tifa smiled.

"But what if something happens!? They don't have cell phones. They could get in a wreck or something!" Yuffie covered her face.

"…Run into another chocobo?" Barret scoffed. "Oh no! It's fatal!"

"Shut it." Yuffie cupped her chin in her hand.

"I've heard of a fatal chocobo wreck." Red XIII hopped onto the chair next to Yuffie. His party hat dipped to the side. "Fell right over the side of Cosmo Canyon. Guy fell asleep because he didn't rest enough. Bird got too tired too."

"Thanks for sharing that." Yuffie whined.

"But…thankfully they are crossing the plains. If anyone fells off, it's only a few feet." Tifa informed.

"What if they get bitten by a snake?" Vincent asked.

"What!?" Tifa about dropped a glass. "Vincent, you've crossed those plains numerous times! How many times were you bitten!?"

"Well, none. But you never know how odds and luck work together. And we all know Zack's luck."

"This is ridiculous." Shelke rolled her eyes.

"It is!" Kadaj laughed. "Any bets that Zack will get bitten, manage to fall of the chocobo, and get rained on?"

"Ooh!" Cait Sith stuck a paw into the air.

Vincent reached into his pocket. "I think I may just have to take you up on that. I'll add falling into the river outside town and coming across a behemoth." He slapped his hand on the table. "And Aeris comes out perfectly unharmed."

"What are we betting on?" Reno's voice called through the front door of the shop. He fumbled with the grocery bags in his hands.

"Anything good?" Elena grinned.

"Zack's luck." Red XIII answered.

"Now that sounds interesting, indeed." Tseng walked through the door, placing his car keys into his pocket. Yuffie straightened herself in her seat.

"What's it up to?" Rude pulled out his wallet.

Kadaj counted the small change and bills. "Five gil." He announced proudly.

"…is this a kid's birthday party?" Rude smirked. "I'll double it. Say he gets hit by a falling star."

"You know the odds of that?" Elena raised a brow.

"If it'd happen to anyone…" Rude said, staring at the woman as he dropped the money onto the table.

"True." The woman nodded.

"That pile's quickly growing." Tseng smirked as he took a seat next to the young ninja girl.

"Yeah. May have to get my hands on that pile by the end of the night." Yuffie stared at the coins. She mostly avoided contact to hide the red tint to her face.

"How bout I say he comes here perfectly unscathed?" Cloud dropped his tips from the night into the pile.

"What!?" everyone stared at Cloud.

"Come on…I know it's highly unlikely." The man shrugged. "But _someone's_ gotta stand up for the poor guy."

There was a knock at the door.

"Hello?" it was Aeris' voice.

"Aeris!" Everyone cheered loudly, holding up their glasses.

"Oh my! Look at you all!" Aeris giggled, holding her hand to her lips. She stood in the doorway.

"Where is he?" Tifa asked. Everyone waited.

"Who? Oh! You mean Zack!" Aeris waved her hand. "He couldn't make it."

"What!?" everyone gawked.

"Just kidding!" Aeris giggled. Zack entered the building, carrying the bags.

"Aeris!" Tifa put her hands on her hips.

"ZACK!" everyone cheered loudly.

"Wow! Everyone's here!" the man grinned widely.

"Here, I'll help you out, Tifa." Aeris walked behind the bar. "You got any antibiotic cream?" the woman asked under her breath.

"Yeah, sure." Tifa looked about the room at everyone, they all were acting like they weren't listening in but she could tell they were. "Why?" the woman folded her arms.

"Oh… it was starting to rain a bit and some loud thunder scared Hector. The dumb bird reared upward and Zack lost his balance. Fell off the bird, and can you believe!? Landed right on a snake!" Aeris giggled. "He scared the poor thing and it bit him. Don't think it was poisonous though."

"YES!" Kadaj cheered loudly. There were a few chuckles in the room.

"Hey…um he didn't manage to get hit by a shooting star as well, did he?" Reno chortled. Rude shot the man a glare.

"No…why?" Aeris laughed at the question.

"No reason." Tifa patted the woman on the shoulder. She led her upstairs.

"What's with the shooting star?" Zack crossed his arms.

"Inside joke." Yuffie muttered.

"Aw man. I hate inside jokes." Zack pouted.

"It's nothing man." Cloud patted his friend on the shoulder. "Just glad you're here."

"Drink!" Cid lifted his glass. "Let's get the man a drink!"

"Coming up!" Tifa ran down the stairs, Aeris close behind with a small tube of ointment in her hands.

Another knock sounded at the door.

"I'll get it." Zack turned to get the door.

"Who else?" Tifa asked Cloud. "OH!"

Tifa's gasp alerted everyone's attention.

"Hey, Zack…why don't I get the door!" Cloud rushed beside the man.

"It's fine, I can get the door!" Zack laughed at everyone's sudden silliness. His hand tugged open the door quickly. "Hi there!" Zack called out smiling. The smile, however, quickly faded.

Zack came face to face with a man with pale skin and long silver hair. Green eyes looked down at the man cautiously.

"What the #&!?" Zack jumped back. "What's he doing here!?"

"Evening…" the man bowed.

"Zack." Cloud tried to get the man's attention.

"What are you doing here, Sephiroth!?" Zack grabbed the collar of the man's shirt.

Sephiroth slowly raised his hands.

"I was invited." He said calmly.

"Invited!?" Zack growled. "Why aren't you dead!?"

"ZACK!" Cloud grabbed Zack's arm as the man readied for a punch. There was a small struggle.

"Lemme go Cloud!" Zack growled.

"It's true!" Cloud restrained the man.

"What?" Zack breathed heavily.

"It's true man." Cloud shook his head. "It's fine… Sephiroth's changed."

"Changed!?" Zack glared at the man in the doorway. A moment later Lucrecia was standing by Sephiroth's side.

"Oh dear…I knew this would be a bad idea." Lucrecia bit her lip.

"It'll be fine." Cloud glared at Zack. "We just need to explain everything to him."

"Yeah…" Zack glared back.

"Come in." Tifa held the door open for the two. "I'm sorry Zack, it was my idea."

"Lucrecia has been working with Sephiroth ever since that day. When he was weakened, Jenova left his body. She entered yours. Remember?" Cloud watched Zack closely.

"…" Zack nodded.

"After you died, Jenova had died as well. You two were too weak as hosts for her. There were no other bodies for her to leap into."

"Cloud was lucky she didn't jump into him as a last resort." Tifa added.

"So when you died, Jenova died as well." Cloud motioned for Zack to follow him. Slowly conversation in the bar was picking back up.

"You're sure?" Zack sat on a bar stool.

"He doesn't remember a thing." Tifa whispered.

"Sephiroth?" Zack glanced over his shoulder at the said man. He was leaning up against a window, watching everyone in the room.

"Nothing." Cloud nodded. "He's completely different."

"So he doesn't remember anything at all about his life?" Aeris joined in.

"Doesn't really seem so. Only a few things here and there, but it's all before the event in Nibelheim." Tifa explained. "Lucrecia's been working with him a lot lately and I'm not sure how much she's told him, but give him a try."

"It's actually not that bad." Cloud murmured. "I know that's not what you wanted to hear."

"You should've seen Cloud the first time Lucrecia brought him over. He threw the biggest fit." Tifa rolled her eyes.

"Women are much more forgiving then men are." Cloud sighed.

"So he's harmless then?" Zack asked skeptically. "But you said he remembers a few things. What if, like Aeris, he remembers everything that happened in the past?"

"We'll deal with that when it comes." Tifa folded her arms. "Please don't worry about it." She set a drink down in front of the man. "I want you to have fun tonight."

"I know. I'm sorry for the scene I made." Zack frowned. "I just wasn't expecting…that."

"I should have told you." Cloud patted Zack's shoulder.

"It's fine. Quite the surprise." Zack laughed.

"Lucrecia would like a drink." Sephiroth's voice sounded from beside Zack. He couldn't help the small jump he gave at the interruption.

"Sure thing!" Tifa grinned. "What would she like?" Tifa leaned on the bar, obviously forgetting how low cut her dress was. Sephiroth's gaze dropped a moment.

"Something fruity." The man smirked.

"And you?" She tilted her head.

Aeris hopped in the seat opposite of Sephiroth beside Zack. The Ex-SOLDIER watched Sephiroth.

"Something hard." He smiled. A wild red blush crept over Tifa's face.

"You're awful, you know that?" Tifa breathed a laugh. She began mixing the drinks.

Zack looked over at Cloud who was glaring disapprovingly at Sephiroth.

"I didn't say anything." Sephiroth defended himself. "You're woman has a dirty mind." He shrugged.

"You don't help by suggesting things." Cloud frowned. Sephiroth only chuckled.

"I love picking on him, not sure why though." Sephiroth whispered to Zack. It obviously didn't take long for Sephiroth to warm up to people. Zack still felt awkward as hell around him.

"Always enjoyed picking on him." Zack tried to smile.

"Really?" Sephiroth looked down at the man.

"Here you are." Tifa set the two drinks down in front of the man. Sephiroth nodded a thank you to the woman and gave her a wink. He turned and made his way back to his biological mother. "Hate it when he winks at me!" Tifa giggled, blushing with embarrassment.

"As long as he doesn't touch you." Cloud cleared his throat.

Aeris' hand slipped into Zack's. The man looked down at the entwined fingers and then at her.

"You alright?" He asked quietly. She nodded quickly. "You're sure?"

"Fine." Aeris lied. Zack could tell she was nervous around Sephiroth.

"Don't leave my side tonight." The man whispered to her. Aeris smiled and agreed.

Zack looked over his shoulder at Sephiroth and Lucrecia. They were sharing a conversation. Lucrecia was smiling and laughing. Sephiroth was interacting with her like anybody else would. Zack saw Sephiroth gesturing with his arms and hands, this sent Lucrecia into another fit of laughter. Vincent leaned against the window beside the woman, shaking his head. He had a small smile on his face. After another minute, 

Sephiroth pointed over his shoulder toward the bar. Lucrecia nodded approvingly. Sephiroth turned and made his way back to the seat beside Zack.

"So, tell me about some of the things I've done to Cloud." The man grinned. Zack smiled, feeling less threatened by the man.

"There's too many to tell, this will take all night."

The party was successful. Everyone had seemed to enjoy themselves the duration of the night. Sephiroth no longer felt like a stranger and Zack had eased into comfort rather quickly. It helped to know the man before he had ever gone crazy. Aeris had even shared a small conversation with Sephiroth, about how she and Zack first met. Sephiroth thought it grand that they met by Zack falling through the roof of her church.

"Did you get Yuffie's letter?" Tifa asked.

"Oh! I forgot all about it. Mom told me I had one." Aeris looked over her shoulder at Yuffie who was now sitting rather close to Tseng.

"Getting married in two days." Tifa whispered.

"Two days!?" Zack asked a little too loud. He looked back at the girl. Her hand was on Tseng's and their legs were touching. Tseng leaned in closely to whisper what seemed like a joke in the girl's ear. Yuffie giggled wildly. Tseng remained close to her. It was indeed an intimate moment. Zack tore his gaze away to look at Vincent. He was watching those two as well. Lucrecia was mingling with Shelke and Kadaj. Vincent wasn't smiling or frowning. It was a neutral look.

"What about Vincent?" the man asked Tifa.

"Oh." Tifa leaned forward again. "Not sure exactly what's going on with that. I see him and Yuffie together sometimes and then the next day she'll be with Tseng. Vincent won't talk about it. Says that they knew what they were getting into and that's it!"

"Poor guy." Zack frowned.

"He does have Lucrecia now." Tifa smiled. "He has waited a lifetime for her."

"That's true." Aeris nodded.

"But…Man, that's tough." Zack sighed.

"I'm sure it'll all work out in the end." Tifa grinned. "If they really love each other then they'll find a way to be together, if not, then they'll move on with their new lives."

"Lucrecia loves Vincent a lot." Sephiroth interrupted. "I mean…mom." He shuddered. "I can't just get myself to call her that. It's… weird."

"Aeris?" A low voice sounded from the floor.

"Hi, Red!" Aeris leaned over and scratched the beast behind the ear. He purred quietly. "What's up?"

"I found out something interesting." Red grinned, showing a tooth. He wobbled slightly.

"Red, Have Cid and Barret been slipping you alcohol again?" Tifa put her hands on her hips.

"Perhaps." Red nodded. There was a snicker from the corner of the room. Barret and Cid had their mouths covered.

"You boys!" Tifa rolled her eyes.

"What was that, Red?" Aeris giggled.

"Grandpa left me a book. The villagers were to give it to me when he died, but forgot." The animal swayed.

"That's terrible!" Aeris smiled.

"But I got it, that's all that matters. It's a book about my species!"

"That's great!"

"Has the origins of my kind and our history." The animal said happily. "And there's something interesting I wanted to share with you!"

"Ok." Aeris patted the creature on the head. Tifa, Zack and Sephiroth listened in.

"You remember how I found out that the Ancients were capable of living long lives due to the regeneration?" Aeris nodded. "Well turned out that my species was well known for our long lives. We were known as the guardians of the Ancients. We were born and raised to serve and protect your kind. Isn't that spectacular!?"

"That's some pretty interesting information Red!" Aeris grinned. She poked the party hat on the animal's head.

"We formed armies, were used as companion pets! I never even thought of that!" Red smiled. "I am here to serve and protect you." The animal bowed his head.

"I accept your offer." Aeris grabbed the straw of her glass and tapped Red XIII on either shoulder.

"It's an honor!" Red XIII cheered.

"Same here." Aeris giggled. The animal turned and made his way back to Cid and Barret's table.

"What was that all about?" Tifa stifled a laugh.

"Not really sure. But whatever makes him happy, I guess." The Ancient shrugged her shoulders.

"What about me? I thought I was your bodyguard?" Zack stuck out his lip.

"You can be my consort." She whispered in his ear.

"Oh? I like the sound of that." He gave her a sideways grin.

"Or…" she fiddled with the buttons on the man's shirt. "Concubine, whichever you wish." She giggled.

"Consort concubine." Zack nodded. He took a drink from his glass. Tifa slowly pushed Aeris' drink closer to the woman. Aeris leaned forward, her chest pressing against Zack's.

"You two are going to make me sick." Tifa fake gagged.

"So…Tifa…Why don't you and I get outta here?" Sephiroth winked.

"Oh stop it." Tifa waved a hand at the man.

"Tifa." Cloud tugged on the woman's hand, pulling her away from the bar. "Are you having any fun?"

"Loads!" Tifa grinned.

"You're working too much. Why don't you come over here a bit?" Cloud whispered to her.

"You drank too much, didn't you?" the woman grinned.

"And you not enough?" Cloud cocked his head to the side.

"I don't need alcohol to be attracted to you." Tifa laughed. She pulled Cloud in close to kiss him on the lips. She got goose bumps, nervous of the eyes staring at the two of them. They rarely showed affection in public.

"Damn, I messed that one up." Cloud frowned. "I don't need it either. I mean…you look great all the time. I just…I…"

"Cloud." Tifa shook her head. "Shut up." She laughed and kissed him again.

Slowly, one by one, people were leaving the party. It was getting very late and Tifa was a sharing the guilty happiness of everyone leaving. Yuffie had left a bit ago with Tseng. Lucrecia and Vincent were very close, whispering to themselves. Zack and Aeris had gone upstairs long ago to the guest bedroom, which was once known as Cloud's room. Cloud had moved in with Tifa long ago. Red XIII, Barret, and Cid had gone out for a walk hours ago and never came back. Tifa figured they had gotten lost again in the late night district of the town where the gambling stations were. Rude was gone and Reno and Elena were heading out the door. Sephiroth was playing cards with Cait Sith and Kadaj while Shelke was sleeping, leaning against Kadaj's shoulder.

"Well that was a lot of fun!" Elena whooped as she hopped outside. Reno gave Tifa a wave goodbye as he shut the door behind them.

"It was." Reno nodded. "Been a long time since everyone was together like that.

"You goin' to the wedding?" Elena asked.

"Yuffie's?" Reno shrugged. "Yeah, sure, why the hell not?"

"You wanna be my date?" Elena asked.

"I thought that was a given." Reno smirked. They walked to his car. Elena laughed to herself.

The two had tried to keep their relationship at bay, afraid it'd interfere with work. They still saw each other on the weekends but it often ended up with one of them falling asleep during a movie.

"What are we doing, Reno?" Elena whispered, looking down at the purse in her hands.

"What do you mean?" the redhead asked.

"Us. What is…us?" she looked up at him with glassy eyes.

"What do you want us to be?" the man shoved his hands into his pockets.

"…" the woman looked away. "What do _you_ want us to be?"

He hated when she turned the questions around on him. "I like us."

"You do?"

"Why wouldn't I?" the man smirked.

"I don't know…I just…" she gave a small grin. "I like us a lot."

"How much is a lot?" Reno leaned forward, almost scrutinizing her. She pushed up against the car.

"Reno…" Elena giggled, blushing. "You know what a lot means…" Reno's smile faded as he looked down at her.

"Does it mean you love me?" He asked.

"I! What!? I mean…" the woman stammered. "Let's keep this professional, right?" she said what she'd thought he'd want to hear.

Reno ignored her and leaned down to kiss her, to keep her from saying anymore foolish things. She breathed in tensely. She was stuck between him and the car. Reno pushed against her more, putting a hand on her hip.

"What…?" Elena whispered; her lips were numb.

"We've been past professional for a long time." the man grinned, kissing her once again.

They stood outside for a while, kissing and holding each other.

"What is that?" Cid asked.

"Um!" Elena pushed away from Reno.

"Were you two vertical spooning?" the pilot was walking up to the two, Barret and Red at his side.

"What?" Elena asked, her face burning.

"They were." Barret nodded.

"And kissing." Red added.

"Not kissing!" Reno pointed.

"What were you doing then?" Cid narrowed his gaze.

"Whispering to her…" Reno thought. "…in her mouth…"

"You hear better that way?" Cid cackled and headed up the path toward where his plane was setting behind the bar. Barret and Red followed after the man.

"Whispering!?" Elena smacked Reno in the shoulder. "In my MOUTH!?"

"Good one, right?" Reno scratched his head.

Elena stared at him a few seconds and then broke into a fit of laughter. "The best I've heard." She pulled him in close again. Reno's eyes bugging out. "Tell me some more secrets." She hissed, pulling him into another deep kiss.

* * *

"Oh crap!" Yuffie yelped as her robes were tightened around her midsection.

"Stop it! You're making me nervous!" Aeris yelled at Yuffie.

"You! You're nervous!?" Yuffie screamed as the maid tried her best to apply makeup to her face. "I'm the one getting married!"

"I know! But…you keep yelling and it's making me nervous." Aeris fidgeted as her hair was twirled and pulled up.

"You both need to calm down. This will be over before you know it." Tifa advised.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Yuffie whimpered.

"All finished!" the maid announced.

"OH! GAWD!!" Yuffie waved her hands in the air.

"Deep breaths!" Tifa held onto Yuffie's shoulders.

"I can't do this! I can't! I don't think I'm ready for this. Sure…Tseng's great…but, ruling my country! Are you all insane!? I can't even take care of myself when I'm sick!" the bride sulked.

"Tseng will be there to help!" Aeris patted her back.

"Tseng! Ah!" Yuffie screamed. "I'm getting married to Tseng." Tears began to well in her eyes.

"Yuffie!" Tifa wiped at Yuffie's eyes with her sleeves. "You'll smear your makeup."

"I thought you and Vincent talked about this." Aeris folded her arms.

"What? I didn't…I didn't say anything about Vincent!" Yuffie babbled.

"Yuffie." Aeris drug out her name.

"What about Vincent!? What am I going to do!? He'll hate me forever! He won't be able to look at me the same. I…I loved him!" Yuffie plopped onto a large red pillow on a woven bamboo chair.

"Loved!" Tifa pointed out. "You love Tseng though now, don't you?"

"…" Yuffie took slow deep breaths.

"Yuffie, you can't do this to yourself." Tifa folded her arms.

"I love them both." Yuffie sighed. "But…he's got Lucrecia. So I, I sought out company from Tseng, I mean I am marrying him. Figured I could work on our relationship so it wouldn't be so awkward. And…well." The girl took another deep breath, relaxing a bit. "Tseng wasn't that bad. He grew on me, you know. He's a really great guy."

"But you feel bad for Vincent, right?" Aeris asked.

"Yeah." Yuffie nodded. "I don't want him to think that I abandoned him, cause that's not true. It's just. We talked about this. We knew it was going to happen! We knew that falling in love was going to hurt in the end."

"Then you both were prepared for this." Tifa nodded.

"I think he's moved on fine. I'm the one who hasn't." Yuffie growled in frustration.

"Miss. The ceremony's about to begin. Ladies, please follow me." The maid opened the door and led Tifa and Aeris out of the room.

"Oh Gawd! Kill me." Yuffie whimpered.

"It won't be so bad, Miss. He looks very nice this evening." The maid tried to cheer up Yuffie.

"I'm going to be a cow. Making babies…" Yuffie cried.

"No talk like that! You know that's not true!" The maid giggled at Yuffie's remark. "Now, get out there!" she gave Yuffie a gentle push out into the hall where all the other servants flooded about her, guiding her to the ceremonial hall.

The wedding was beginning. Yuffie felt sick to her stomach as the music began and she was shoved out onto the altar before thousands of viewers and her friends. She swallowed hard, making eye contact with her father who seemed to be sweating bullets, afraid that Yuffie would run away. The ninja girl looked over the crowd. She tried to form a plan, find an opening and a way to get out. The windows were all locked, bars over them and there were guards beside all the doors, weapons in their hands. She looked at her friends who knew what she was trying to do. Tifa shook her head. She gave Yuffie a look that said, 'Don't even think about it.'

Before Yuffie knew it, she was in the center and the high priest was announcing the day's importance to the audience. Yuffie tuned him out. She stood deathly still, her hands clenched. She glanced at her friends once again. Just as she had thought, there was a man missing, Vincent.

'He's not here.' The girl felt tears welling in her eyes. Vincent was upset. So upset, in fact, that he couldn't even show up to her wedding day. She saw Cloud shrug his shoulders, answering her question.

Everyone stood from their seats, her husband to be was entering the room from behind her. Yuffie suddenly felt panicked.

'Wait…Vincent's not here.' Yuffie smiled, her hopes rising. She looked over her shoulder and felt her heart burst into pieces. The man who walked around the corner was not who she was thinking about. It was Tseng, sure enough. He walked up to the woman's side, his hand next to hers. Yuffie grabbed his hand, squeezing it. Tseng looked down at her, a kind smile on his face. He saw the tears forming in her eyes and squeezed her hand back.

The ceremony continued, time crawling by for Yuffie. She didn't once look at the priest or her father. Every once and a while her gaze dropped to the empty spot on the floor where Vincent should have been.

'He's really not here.' Yuffie closed her eyes, trying to hold back the tears.

"She's freakin' out." Elena whispered to Reno.

"I prayed before this that she wouldn't run away." Reno sighed.

"You? Pray?" the woman snorted.

"In dire situations, yes." Reno smirked. "Besides, Tseng's gotta have a happy ending too, right?"

"What do you mean?" Elena asked.

Reno only smiled.

"You mean?" the woman gasped. "I had no idea."

"You were too caught up in us that you didn't notice his relationship."

"Yuffie." There was a soft whisper. The woman opened her eyes to look at Tseng. He was very worried, she could tell. Underneath it all, though, she caught a hint of pain. Was he hurt that she was upset Vincent wasn't here?

"I'm fine." Yuffie sniffled. "I'm sorry."

Tseng smiled at her reassuringly. The priest was finishing up the dreadfully long ceremony and then before she knew it, it was finally over, the last few seconds flying by as she stared at Tseng. He certainly did make her feel more comfortable. Now was the time she had dreaded for months, her kiss with Tseng…in front of thousands.

Tseng grabbed her other hand and looked down at her. He put a hand on her hip and leaned downward placing a soft kiss on her lips. Yuffie felt many of her worries melting away. Tseng was a great guy. Getting to know him was the best decision she had ever made. He pulled away after a second, short and sweet, nothing to make her uncomfortable. She smiled a 'thanks' to him. The ceremonial hall filled with cheers and applause.

'Well that's it, it's all over.' Yuffie sighed. 'Not too bad.' She bit her lip, looking once more at the empty spot on the ground beside Cloud and the others.

Yuffie and Tseng prepared to exit, but Yuffie's father stopped them.

"I have an announcement to make!" her father said loudly. The room died into silence. "I believe that Tseng is the perfect choice for my daughter and I believe they will be very happy together. Yuffie, Tseng, I wish you both the best of luck in your future together. Running this country is a lot of work, as you all know. Tseng will be her guide and support. But as times have moved forward, wars have worsened. I believe that one bodyguard is not enough for my daughter, as she is the last and most precious thing I hold dear to me."

"What are you talking about?" Yuffie asked.

"I'd like to announce a new member of the defense of Wutai." Her father stepped back, his arm out to reveal a new soldier to his royal army. "Vincent Valentine."

Around the corner from where Tseng had come only moments before was Vincent, adoring the traditional Wutai Empire Army uniform. His hair was tied back in Wutain fashion. At his hip was a sword. His claw glimmered in the light, being polished. He wore the highest badge a member of the Wutain army could uphold. Yuffie froze. She took a deep, slow breath and held it. Vincent approached the two of them, Tseng and Yuffie. He kneeled to the ground and bowed.

"In the name of Wutai I swear to protect and serve the Empress of Wutai. Until death am I at your service." Vincent spoke nobly.

Being a member of the Turks, Vincent knew his duty well. He would put Yuffie before anything.

"Then it is announced. You are Yuffie's grand bodyguard. You will fulfill your duties and missions at her request and serve and protect her." Yuffie's father ordered. "You may rise."

Vincent rose to his feet, his crimson eyes on Yuffie. The tears fell from her eyes and she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around the man. Vincent stiffened.

"Yuffie." Her father hissed. "Yuffie!"

"I thought you weren't coming. I saw you're empty space on the floor." Yuffie sniffled, wiping at her eyes, smearing her makeup.

"I'm never leaving you, you know that." Vincent replied. "Now, go to your husband. You're making a scene."

Yuffie smiled and joined Tseng's side, grabbing his hand once again. Vincent stood off to the side at attention. The audience cheered once more and the ceremony was finally over. Yuffie could leave the stage and continue with her life. She knew that she and Vincent were not possible together but having him at her side at all times was a relief to her. Some told her that she would learn to love Tseng. Yuffie smiled to herself. She didn't need to learn. She already loved the man and respected him more than anyone else. She decided on this day that it was time to grow up. She wasn't a teenager running around the world for materia anymore. She was empress of her country and she had made this decision long ago. She would make the people of Wutai happy and safe. And her father had granted her the greatest gift she could ever receive, her own happiness and safety.

"I do get paid vacation, right?" Vincent murmured as he followed the two out of the hall.

"Not on my watch, Valentine." Yuffie ordered.

* * *

"Can you believe this?" Tifa gawked at the television.

"What?" Aeris asked, setting down dinner plates.

"Look." She pointed to the screen.

"_Mysterious kidnappings have been occurring in the area of Icicle Inn and surrounding areas. Many scientists have been reported missing and so have residents who ventured north for camping and rock climbing. Explanations are unknown at this time-…Wait. We have some breaking news! This just in…" _

"Guys!" Tifa called over her shoulder.

Cloud, Zack, and Sephiroth were busy fixing a light fixture in the ceiling. They all stopped to see what the commotion was all about. Tifa turned up the volume of the television.

"I think we need to call the others. This is just too suspicious." Tifa suggested.

"_That's right! A whole city has vanished! All the inhabitants of the recently relocated Icicle Inn have gone missing! What's this?"_ the reporter gasped as she was handed a new pile of papers. _"Oh my!" _she hesitated._ "Ladies and gentlemen. More information on this issue… we have a survivor. A single man from Icicle Inn. We've got reporter John Vexler on the scene. John?" _the screen flickered to a snowy, static filled screen.

"Survivor!?" Zack glared at the television. "Why would they say survivor? They automatically assume everyone's dead?"

"_Here we have a citizen who remains in the city. Battered and bruised, this man crawled to safety. Luckily, our news team was able to help. Can you please tell us what happened?"_ the reporter placed his microphone next to a frightened man's lips.

"_We…we had no chance. It came out of nowhere. So much screaming. My…my children!"_ the man sobbed.

"_It?"_ the reporter asked.

"_It took my children! It…it had tentacles. Was so big. Kept muttering something…I don't understand. Glowing…green eyes."_ The man held a shaking hand to his mouth.

"Damn it." Cloud stared at the screen. "Damn it!"

"What is this about? The Northern Crater?" Sephiroth asked nervously.

"_Reunion…Reunion…What does that mean!?"_ the man cried.

"Oh…my…god…" Tifa gasped. She leapt from the stool and sprinted up the stairs. "I'm calling Cid and the others!"

"No. This can't be. I…I thought she was dead." Aeris covered her mouth.

"What is it?" Sephiroth glared. "Ah!" He covered his head, moaning in pain.

"Damn!" Zack pushed away from the bar, watching Sephiroth closely. "What's wrong?"

"Don't you feel it? The…pain?" Sephiroth dropped to the floor.

"Pain? I don't…" Cloud gasped, grabbing the side of his head too.

"Guys! What's up!?" Zack watched, worriedly.

"What's happening!?" Aeris ran on the other side of the bar, afraid of the men.

"Shhhh…it." Zack dropped to the floor as well. He squeezed his temples. "Jenova…"

"Jenova!?" Aeris held her hands against her chest.

"Get out of here, Aeris." Zack muttered.

"TIFA!" Aeris screamed.

Tifa dropped the phone and darted down the stairs.

"What!? What's going on!?" Tifa grabbed Aeris' arm.

"Zack said to get out of here! It's Jenova!" Aeris ran around the boys, taking Tifa with her.

"But, we can't leave them!" Tifa opened the front door and ran outside.

"I know! But what are we going to do if they change, Tifa?" Aeris grabbed her friend.

"We wouldn't make it." Tifa covered her forehead nervously. "Cid is on his way, he's calling Yuffie."

The two women ran across the street into the small park. The outdoors was deathly silent.

"Hopefully the guys can hold out in the meantime." Tifa watched the bar. She was waiting for something to pop out and chase her.

"Oh no!" Aeris tapped Tifa's shoulder.

"What!?" the girl saw Aeris pointing at the sky.

"What is that!?" Aeris felt her hairs stand on end.

"Oh, no way!" Tifa raised her fists. "There's no way!"

"We're going to die!" Aeris screamed.

"Don't say that!" Tifa watched, frightened, at the approaching monster in the air. It had massive wings and soared directly at the two women. Long tentacles hung of its form. The women could see its glowing green eyes from where they stood.

"We're defenseless." Aeris whimpered. "Ok…I'm defenseless!"

"Like I'll be able to hold that thing off!" Tifa stepped back slowly, not sure which was safer being out in the open or back indoors with the men. "R, RUN!" Tifa scurried backwards, grabbing Aeris' arm.

"Run!? Where to!?" she yelled.

"Don't look back, just RUN!" Tifa tugged.

The two women ran for their lives. In mere seconds they could hear and feel the air rush from the flapping wings overhead. Two tentacles wrapped around them. They screamed. The monster swooped and dove down to the ground, landing in front of the bar.

"HELP!" Aeris yelled. The two women struggled.

"I can't…" Tifa grimaced. "Get out!"

'_Reunion_!' a mental voice screamed at the girls. This made them scream again.

Aeris and Tifa struggled as the monster pulled them upward, closer and closer to its face. Both women cursed and clawed at the monster, but nothing worked.

"ZACK!" Aeris shrieked.

"CLOUD!" Tifa joined in.

Nothing worked. There was no response. The bar remained quiet and so did the streets of Edge. No one was coming to their aid. Tifa gasped as the creature's mouth opened, revealing razor, jagged teeth. Its mouth was big enough to fit her head inside.

'Oh god!' Tifa closed her eyes. Aeris was shouting, yelling out to her.

With an explosion of sound, the front door to the bar burst open. A flash of black and silver burst from the doorway and toward the fight. In a millisecond both girls were dropped and colliding with the street.

"Ugh!" The two women hit hard.

"You alright, Tifa!?" Aeris called out.

"Fine!" Tifa scooted away from the monster to where Aeris was. Two large tentacles squirmed on the ground next to them, green ooze pouring from them.

"You two need to get out of here." A cool voice sounded from beside them. It was Sephiroth. He had Cloud's sword in his hand, impaling the creature through the torso. Green blood dripped to the ground, splattering on the cement.

"We can't leave you!" Tifa scrambled to her feet.

"Just do it." Sephiroth muttered through gritted teeth, struggling with the monster as its tentacles stretched and squeezed around him.

"Come on, Tifa." Aeris tugged the woman's arm.

"You're kind…is not…wanted here." Sephiroth growled to the beast.

There was a loud whining sound.

"What is that!?" Tifa covered her ears, but it did nothing to mute the noise.

"I think it's that monster!" Aeris hollered.

Both women looked to watch Sephiroth. He was grunting, his teeth showing. Obviously the sound had a greater impact on him.

"Sephiroth! Get outta there!" Tifa screamed.

"…I will…not!" Sephiroth hissed. His head pounded, his veins felt like they were about to burst. He let out a low cry as blood seeped from his ears.

"It's killing him!" Tifa gasped. "We've got to do something."

Sephiroth dropped do a knee, the monster squeezing him all the more. He tugged the sword downward, slicing the monster in half vertically. The beast dropped to the ground, oozing all over the place. Its flailing limbs slowly released him.

"Sephiroth!" there was a shout from the bar. It was Zack and Cloud. They helped support each other as they walked out onto the streets. "What are you doing!? You can't fight that by yourself!"

"I can…" Sephiroth gasped for air, the high pitched sound slowly dying down. "It wasn't Jenova's hold on me that made me strong. It was her cells. I still have them; I'm more than capable of taking this down!"

"Let us help!" the two women rushed to help the other men.

"You'll only get in the way." Sephiroth shook his head.

"Come on! You can't take her on alone! What if she takes over you again!?" Zack shouted.

"…This isn't her." Sephiroth looked over his shoulder.

"What?" They all stared at him in disbelief.

"Meteor." Sephiroth looked back down at the angry creature on the ground, it struggled to lift itself. "Jenova rode on the first meteor to our planet. This new meteor was nothing more than a vessel she summoned to live out her legacy. It's nothing more than another monster!"

"Give me my sword." Cloud held out his hand. "You're in no shape for this." He watched the blood seep from Sephiroth's ears. He was shaking slightly.

"Cloud. You never were strong enough to handle things like this on your own. Neither of you were. You were only injected with cells after birth. I grew with the cells. I have a better hold on them than you ever will. Jenova's gone. Our healing capabilities are no longer superior." Sephiroth lifted his sword to bring it down upon the monster's head.

The Jenova like creature pushed itself from off the ground, rising to the sky. Sephiroth narrowed his glare. He waited too long. It had time to regenerate.

"You're just a distraction! Get out of here!" The man leapt into the air, grabbing a tentacle. He flew into the air with the monster, the others yelling after him.

"Damn it! That's not his weapon! This sword is heavier than his Masamune! It'll only slow him down!" Cloud growled.

"He's not in top shape as it is, and without his Masamune, he isn't at his full skill." Zack lowered his head.

Sephiroth climbed up the beast's back. He raised the weapon overhead, its weight not hindering his skill. He dropped it down quickly towards its neck. The monster dodged to the side, the blade hitting its shoulder instead. There was a loud screech as the beast reached over to wrap an appendage around the man's neck. Sephiroth was pulled over its shoulder, the blood soaking through the man's clothing. Sephiroth hung in the air, choking. He pulled his arm back, holding the sword horizontally in the air. He pushed it forward, impaling the monster once again. Sephiroth growled. The screeching was rising in pitch, each cry louder than the last as he removed and reinserted the blade into the beast's body over and over again. He twisted the blade and pulled it out. The tentacle tightened more, closing his airway.

"Get him!" Zack cheered.

"Ugh." Cloud moaned, holding his head.

"It's happening again!" Tifa held onto Cloud.

"Damn it." Zack squeezed his temple, trying to hold back the pain. He looked upward, watching Sephiroth fight in the air with the giant being. Sephiroth loosened the grip on his sword, his other hand grabbing at the arm around his neck.

"I won't…fail…" Sephiroth mumbled.

The screeching was making his eyes roll back slightly. With a loud scream, Sephiroth put all of his strength into his arm holding his weapon. He lifted and rose, flicking his wrist to pull the sword vertically. The blade cut over the creature's chest and the tip landed right under its jawbone and cut into its skull. An explosion of sounds emitted from the monster, its tentacles flying all around. Sephiroth gasped, no longer able to breathe. He dropped the sword. It fell to the ground from several stories.

"Look out!" Aeris screamed. They all dodged the falling weapon as it crashed to the ground with a thunderous clang.

"My…sword…" Cloud grumbled.

"It looks pissed." Zack muttered. He leaned against Aeris, the sounds hurting his ears and head.

'Reunion!' the monster screamed.

"This reunion…is over…" Sephiroth choked. His vision was blurring. He dug his fingers into the monster's eyes. One last scream sounded before the sounds died down. Sephiroth felt the air whoosh by as he and the creature began to fall back to the planet.

In one last attempt to win, the beast drove its tentacles forward.

_SPLAT, SPLAT, SPLAT! _

Sephiroth gasped, feeling the sharp pain in his torso as three razor sharp tentacles drove into his body.

"NO!" the women screamed.

"The best…defense…" Sephiroth rasped. "Is a…counterattack."

The monster pulled away its appendages, injuring the man further more. Sephiroth dropped from the air, the alien flapping its wings enough to keep from falling.

"Oh no!" Tifa covered her eyes. There was a thud as Sephiroth hit the ground of the small park.

"Sephiroth!" Aeris ran to the man lying in the grass. She dropped to her knees to check him.

"#." Zack muttered. He pulled on Cloud to guide him to where the Sephiroth lay.

"Is he alright!?" Tifa hollered, watching the beast overhead.

The Reunion obsessed creature was falling slowly. It wobbled from side to side, its wings failing itself. Green blood poured from its wounds, a slow and painful death.

"You got what you deserved." Cloud glared at the beast overhead.

"Look at me!" Aeris patted Sephiroth's cheeks.

Zack strode over to where Cloud's sword lay on the ground. He waited for the monster to hit the ground and then he drove the weapon into its face numerous times. A little ruthless, but necessary he thought.

"I, I don't have my materia!" Aeris cried.

"It's useless." Sephiroth muttered. "The wounds will not heal. It is already too late."

Tifa covered her mouth, watching. The man had three giant holes punctured through his midsection. He had numerous broken bones and his neck was cut and bruised. Without Jenova's full power, he was going to die, like everyone else.

"But, you can make it, right? I mean the cells?" Aeris questioned.

"Without Jenova…without her life, her cells are practically useless. I only have the adrenaline and strength, no regeneration capabilities. She no longer exists on this planet. This only weakens us." Sephiroth spoke slowly, watching the puffy white clouds in the sky.

"We'll call Lucrecia!" Tifa suggested.

"It's not worth it." Sephiroth mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Aeris asked.

"It's not the same. I would have really liked to be like you all." Sephiroth coughed. "Being back to my normal self this short amount of time has been nearly unbearable. To walk the streets hearing nothing more than insults. People run from you. Children ask you horrible questions and their mothers drag them away, glaring at you. People refuse to let you in their stores, their homes. The only companions I have are my mother and the ones who I tried to kill in the past."

"But that wasn't you! That was Jenova!" Aeris tried her best to help.

"It doesn't keep the nightmares away." the man sighed, blood trickling from his lips. His eyes stared at the sunlight that flooded around a tiny cloud. "To hear and see all the terrible things you've done. Play them over and over again in your head each night. How can a man live with himself, knowing of all the innocent people he's killed? Knowing that he can never be normal."

"Stay with us. Things will get better, with time. You'll see." Aeris whispered.

"They may forgive, but how can I?" the man stared at his blood covered, shaking hand. "You know…it's not just Jenova that makes people crazy. I don't think I can hold out much longer. My brain…Lucrecia said, is very unhealthy. Too much stress on the body. I wouldn't live much longer anyways. Would only drive myself crazy." The pauses between words were getting longer with each sentence.

"Stay with us." Aeris pleaded. Cloud stared down at the man, sorrow on his face. Zack yelled in the background, cursing at the calamity that had been over killed.

"I'm afraid that's not possible, Aeris." Sephiroth placed his hand on top of hers. "Even if I wanted to, my body won't let me. I'm just glad I got the opportunity to feel what love was. Even if it was fabricated." The man smiled.

"You, you remember that!?" Aeris gasped.

"Devils weren't meant to be with…angels…" Sephiroth smiled. A tear fell out the corner of his eye. He lay there, unmoving. "I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you. Tifa, Cloud…you too. And Zack." Sephiroth began choking, his body shaking.

Tifa held back her tears, her hand running over the location of where her scar was on her chest.

"Hold on!" Aeris screamed. Zack was rushing back over to the scene. "Sephiroth!"

He stopped suddenly, very still. "Ah…to be human…"

"Sephiroth!" she shook him.

"He alright?" Zack asked. He knew the answer.

"He can come back!" Tifa stated hopefully.

They all knew that wasn't likely. Sephiroth was only able to return in the past for being taken over and used by Jenova, a sacrifice for her Reunion. He wouldn't die trying to save the planet, linking himself to summons. He wouldn't die by giving up his life-force voluntarily to protect someone else. Sephiroth would die the traditional way, the way of a soldier. Doing his duty to serve and protect. He would die by the act of murder and nothing else.

"SEPHIROTH!?" the girl screamed.

The man did not answer. He did not move. Sephiroth was gone.

* * *

"Kadaj!" Shelke screamed. "Hurry! Get down here!"

There was the sound or running coming down the spiral staircase of the Shinra mansion. She tapped her foot, waiting for the man to run down the hall.

"What!? It's not another spider, is it!?" Kadaj nearly tripped over the woman who was standing in the doorway.

"No!" the girl hopped with excitement. She had a ruler in one hand and a marker in the other.

"Then what is it?" Kadaj gave her a curious look.

"See!? You see!?" The girl pushed her finger against the doorframe. There were two black lines across the board.

"Yeah…" the man nodded slowly.

"An inch in one week!" the girl cheered. "Can you believe it!? It's working!" she shrieked with excitement.

"You're growing!?"

"I'm growing!" she screamed again.

"Then…you're aging!?" the young man asked.

"YES!" she jumped into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck. He spun her around in a circle.

"Then you can…"

"Look like my age!" the girl finished his sentence.

"YES!" Kadaj whooped. He paused, thinking. "…Now people will stop giving me weird looks in the streets."

Shelke giggled.

"How long?" Kadaj asked.

"At this rate I should look about the right age in a few months!" the girl squealed. "I can't wait!"

"Neither can I!" Kadaj hugged the girl.

She planted a soft kiss on his cheek. It wouldn't be long and they'd be able to express a lot more to each other. And that's what mattered most to Shelke.

* * *

It had been a few months since the horrible accident that took place in Edge leading to Sephiroth's untimely death. The hardest part was breaking the news to Lucrecia. The woman had locked herself up in her cave for weeks. Vincent had to take a leave from Wutai, which Yuffie gladly granted him, in order to lecture the woman out of hiding. But today was a day of happiness rather than sadness. They wouldn't forget the short time they had to build a new friendship with their old friend, but they were no longer sad.

"Holy!" Zack pulled on the collar of his bleached white dress shirt.

"Knock it off." Cloud slapped the man's hand away. "You keep moving and I'm going to stab you."

"But this suit is killing me!" Zack moaned. "Open a window or something!" the man sighed.

"The air conditioner is on, Zack." Cloud muttered. He fiddled with the tie around the man's neck.

"I can't do this." He groaned.

"Sounds like Yuffie." Vincent snorted.

"You've been waiting for this day for years!" Cloud grumbled.

"But…what if I trip!? What if I fall and take her down with me?" Zack fidgeted, tapping his shoes on the ground.

"Please…" Cloud grabbed the man's shoulders, sighing loudly. "Don't."

"Just relax." Vincent added. "You get nervous and those things _will_ happen."

"Besides, it's not like you're around a bunch of people you don't know." Cloud handed the man his dress coat.

The door to the dressing room popped open and Cid and Barret followed through, snickering.

"This isn't funny." Red XIII padded into the room, a very flustered look on his face.

"Aw!" Zack laughed, leaning on his knees to take a look at the animal. "But you look so cute with that pillow strapped to your back!"

"Why couldn't Denzel be the ring bearer?" Red growled.

"Cause he said he's too old for that kind of stuff." Cloud stated.

"Too old!?" Red snorted angrily. "What about me!? I'm older than everyone in this building combined!"

"Come on, it ain't so bad." Zack folded his arms, looking over the animal. "Besides, you're the cutest one out of all the guys." He leaned down again to tap Red on the nose.

"You know, I was known as a puppy to bite off fingers…" Red gave a low hiss as he spoke.

Zack pushed away, sweating a bit.

"What about Cid's brat?" Red shook his mane, part of it tangled under the strap of the pillow.

"Luckily, my brat's too young to walk yet." Cid grinned.

"I was running and hunting by six weeks..." Red grumbled. He took a seat next to Vincent.

Zack cleared his throat loudly. "Damn it's hot in here." He began to take off his jacket.

"Put it back on!" Cloud ordered.

"Come on!" Zack whined. "Just for a minute?"

"No." Cloud shook his head. "The wedding starts in a minute."

"I get to pick on you on your wedding day then." Zack raised his nose in the air. He stared at the mirror, fixing the black spikes in his hair. Cloud turned red in the face.

"Mr. Barret." A female voice sounded.

Barret turned quickly to face the lanky woman in the doorway. She waved her fingers at the man.

"Afternoon, Miss Janessa." Barret blushed. He headed out of the room, giving an elbow to the woman. "Shall I escort you to your seat?"

"Yes, please." The woman giggled flirtatiously, resting a hand atop his.

The men in the room chuckled to themselves. Zack continued fiddling with his bangs.

"You…know?" Cloud whispered after a minute.

"Tifa spilled the beans to Aeris a long time ago." Zack smirked. "Seems you've gotten her a prettier ring to wear now."

"I hope she likes it." Cloud cleared his throat. He was suddenly feeling very uncomfortable in his suit.

"How'd she take it?" Zack straightened up, smoothing out his jacket.

"She screamed so loud it about burst my eardrums." Cloud shrugged. "And then she cried all day! Aren't women supposed to be happy when they're asked to be married?"

"They were probably tears of joy." Zack patted the man on the shoulder.

"I dunno… she cried a lot. Went through an entire box of tissues…" Cloud wiped some sweat from his brow.

Music signaled the beginning of the ceremony.

"Well." Zack sighed. "Let's get our asses out there." He patted Cloud on the back once more and made his way out of the room, tightening his tie.

"Is it hot in here?" Cloud murmured to himself.

* * *

**Three months later**

"Don't eat too much, we have dessert." Aeris giggled, slapping Zack's hand away from the extra sandwich in the picnic basket.

"But Cloud had three!" Zack whined.

"No more." She waved a finger at him.

"Come on, Aeris!" Tifa struggled to her feet. "Let's go see how the water feels!"

The two women trotted out to the water's edge on the beach. They were in Costa Del Sol, enjoying the warm weather as things began cooling considerably in their hometown. The sun was setting on the horizon, giving a light pinkish glow over the women as they danced and twirled in the sand, giggling like school girls. Their sundresses flowed in the gentle breeze. The wind pressed the fabric against the stomachs revealing a tiny pooch in each of their bellies. Tifa's hat flew off her head and down the beach toward where the men sat on the large striped blanket. It was a much needed vacation indeed.

"So…when did you find out?" Zack asked, reaching for the last sandwich and stuffing it into his mouth.

"'Bout a month ago." Cloud let out a deep breath. "You?"

"Same time." Zack nodded.

The two men watched the girls kick their feet, trying to splash each other with the cold water.

"I swear. Those two must've planned to get pregnant at the same time." Zack groaned.

"That's what best friends do, I suppose." Cloud groaned as well. "Can we handle this type of lifestyle?"

* * *

**494 years later**

"Come on, Dad. Tell us another one!" the tiny cub pawed Nanaki against the chest.

"No, no…" he shook his head, his unruly mane jingling from the beads in his hair. "It's very late."

Nanaki looked over the side of the cliff. His eyes stared sadly over the distance at the ruins of Midgar, a once lively city. It was covered in moss, the green color actually helping to give the dead city some life.

"One more!? Please!?" the other cub begged.

"Now what do you want to hear about?" he looked down at his children.

There was a long silence as the two cubs stared at each other. They smiled simultaneously after a moment. Nanaki was dreading that smile.

"How'd you and mom meet?" they asked happily.

"Oh!" he laughed, his gaze lifting to the bright stars overhead. "Now that…that is a _long_ story."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

That's the end of this story! A long chapter, I know, and sorry for the slight delay in this. I had to take two days to come back and finish it. Thank you so much for reading. I really hope you all enjoyed this story. I know that I didn't have as much energy in it at times as I did the first story, but that's what school does for you. But I really wanted to finish it and do this for all of you who requested a sequel. I hope I satisfied you all. Thanks for sticking with me till the end!



Now, I only have one request from all of you. Can you please leave me a review? Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what was your favorite part of the story? Funniest part, saddest part? Did I make you laugh did I make you cry? Would But I really would love to hear from every single reader! Please! It would be great to hear from all of you. Thank you so much for reading and keeping up with the story I hope you all enjoyed it, I know I enjoyed writing this and hearing from you all! Thanks!

-Annubis


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